Zimpapers Logo

Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Bureau
THE country’s sole Ammonium Nitrate (AN) manufacturer, Sable Chemical Industries, is targeting to produce about 120 000 tonnes of fertiliser this year to bolster stocks for the summer cropping season.

Chairperson of Fertiliser Producers’ Association who is also Zimbabwe Phosphate Industries (Zimphos) chief executive, Mr Tapiwa Mashingaidze, said Sable Chemicals was producing 10 000 tonnes of AN per month, which translates to 120 000 tonnes per year.

He said this was half of the required top dressing fertiliser and the country will only import the deficit.  Mr Mashingaidze said the imported fertiliser would replenish the stocks of fertiliser that were already on the  market.

“Sable Chemical Industries, the country’s sole producer of AN, is producing at least 10 000 tonnes a month, which is half of what we require as a country. We will then import the deficit. We are targeting to produce 120 000 tonnes of fertiliser this year to bolster stocks for the coming summer season,” said Mr Mashingaidze

Sable Chemicals was enlisted as one of the major suppliers of AN to the Command Agriculture and the Presidential Input Support Scheme programmes.

Meanwhile, Sable Chemicals’ coal bed methane project is moving at a snail’s pace as the company still awaits the mineral exploration for the Lupane deposits.

Sable Chemicals chief executive, Mr Bothwell Nyajeka, said the company was not part of the exploration exercise hence the pace will be determined by the explorers.

“Not much progress has been made on this project (coal bed methane). The amount of money will only be known after completion of the full feasibility study to exploit the gas fields. Please note that Sable will not be involved in the exploitation of the gas fields but will enter into an offtake agreement or arrangement to purchase a portion of the gas produced,” he said.