Harare, (New Ziana) – The Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) has urged the government to introduce short-term fuel subsidies to stabilise pump prices and cushion farmers facing high production costs.
The call comes after the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) set new prices at US$2.09 per litre for diesel and US$2.08 for petrol, down from US$2.11 and US$2.23 respectively.
While the drop offers some relief, ZFU said the prices remained too high for farmers.
“Government could intervene to cushion producers and consumers by introducing short-term fuel subsidies and reducing taxes and levies on fuel to ensure gradual price stabilisation at the pump,” the union said.
ZFU noted that domestic taxes and levies are the main drivers of Zimbabwe’s high fuel prices.
It also advised farmers to recalculate production costs using the updated prices and shift to fuel-efficient methods.
“The Zimbabwe Farmers Union is encouraging farmers to adopt more fuel-conscious approaches like conservation agriculture,” the association said.
“If practised consistently, farmers will see benefits in soil health and reduced costs for fuel, ammonium nitrate and irrigation water,” it said.
New Ziana
