Government moves to nationalise fertiliser companies

By Tererai Karimakwenda
16 January 2006

The state-controlled Herald newspaper reported Monday that the government is moving to takeover the country's three producers of fertiliser. This acquisition of fertiliser companies is being hailed as part of the land reform programme and a boost to Operation Taguta, the campaign to feed the nation by controlling agriculture. Sable Chemicals, Zimbabwe Fertiliser Company and Windmill are to be combined into one under the name National Fertiliser Company. Former head of the Grain Marketing Board and MDC shadow minister for Agriculture Renson Gasela immediately criticised the plan, saying it is a futile exercise and fertiliser will become even more unavailable.

According to The Herald, the government has made 1.5 trillion Zimbabwe dollars available to buy shares in the three firms. Gasela said the money will probably be provided in local currency which they will print without regard to inflation and other economic factors. The government blames fertiliser companies for failing to produce enough, but experts say it is the failure to provide foreign currency and bad governance that created the current shortages. Gasela agrees with this view. He added that fertiliser companies have been trying to sell their product fairly, but ZANU-PF is a party of patronage and would most likely sell to sympathisers.

Asked whether the availability of fertiliser would boost agricultural output, Gasela said many of the soldiers being moved into producing food for the nation as part of Operation Taguta are not farmers. He said they are just now planting maize and sorghum instead of tilling the land where crops are already growing and are starved of fertiliser.