FERTILISER manufacturing company, Sable Chemicals, is targeting to produce at least 25 000 tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate (AN) fertiliser by December this year.

The country’s sole AN manufacturer hopes to resume production next month and requires US$12 million to import raw materials in preparation for the 2019/20 farming season

The shortage of adequate raw materials owing to foreign currency shortages had stalled production at the company, resulting in the firm stopping production in June. 

Government, through Treasury, has bailed out the company through a $4 million funding, which came in batches. In an interview, Sable Chemicals chief executive officer Mr Bothwell Nyajeka said the company was looking forward to resuming normal production in October.

“We are resuming normal production this October after we received another batch of US$1,5 million. We earlier on received another US$2,5 million and we are hopeful that it will take us far. We are targeting to produce about 25 000 tonnes of AN between now and December,” he said.

However, the company requires more funding for production to normalise and meet the national requirement.

“The company is operating way below capacity owing mainly to a national shortage of foreign currency, which is curtailing the importation of Ammonium Gas from South Africa. As you know this is an important component of our production. In total we need about US$12 million for raw materials,” said Mr. Nyajeka.

The company only produced 7 000 tonnes of AN between January and June this year due to limited supplies of  Ammonium Gas.

Mr Nyajeka said the long term solution was to invest in coal methane gas in Lupane or natural gas from Muzarabani and Mozambique.