Source: Farmers protest diesel price hike – DailyNews

By Emmerson Njanjamangezi

THE recent increase in the price of diesel by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulation Authority (Zera) looks set to negatively affect farmers in the ongoing 2020/21 cropping season, the Daily News can report.

Zera recently announced a 19 percent price increase for diesel in a new fuel prices notice. The price of diesel is now at $97,24 and US$1,19 per litre, while that for petrol remains largely unchanged at $97,44 and US$1,19 per litre.

The price of diesel has been increased marginally in Zimbabwe dollars from $97,11 to $97,44 while the US dollar price has been reviewed upwards from US$1.00.

The fuel price change comes as the 2020/21 cropping season has just begun around the country following the start of the rainy season. Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) chief executive Paul Zakariya told the Daily News yesterday that the price increase would have a negative effect on their members’ viability.

“At this moment in time, any increase in input price pushes production costs up. All these costs must be absorbed by producer prices, which in most cases remain subdued,” he said.