Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) in Kafue says it is set for this year’s production of fertilizer for the 2008/9 farming season.
NCZ Sales and Marketing Manager Munshya Tyetye told ZANIS in an interview today in Kafue that the company has already opened tenders for the supply of raw materials for the production of ‘ compound D’ fertilizer.
He said companies from both within and outside the country had already started bidding for the supply of the raw material that include Ammonium sulphate.
Mr. Tyetye said the company this year is targeting to produce 60,000 metric tonnes of D compound fertilizer which is used as basal dressing.
He said the company has already started sourcing for partners from outside the country to finance the production.
As a way of ensuring the company starts producing the commodity in time, Mr. Tyetye said the company is discussing with some of its major clients of fertilizer to pay towards the commodity in advance so that finances can be secured to start producing the commodity.
He said the company is not however ruling out government’s financial backing which is expected to facilitate the rehabilitation of some of the plants at the company.
He said the company was still in dire need for funds to enable it operate fully adding that the company is still seeking ways to overcome some of the challenges it is facing.
Mr. Tyetye also disclosed that the company is vigorously working hard to ensure it revives its ammonium nitrate explosives making plant so that NCZ can start supplying explosives to the mining companies .
He said currently there is a huge market for explosives in the country following the growth in the mining sector.
Mr. Tyetye said the mining industry is currently importing explosives due to lack of companies that can produce them.
He said the company wants to ensure that it wins the market of supplying the explosives.
Mr. Tyetye said rehabilitation works at the ammonium nitrate plant have reached an advanced stage and it is expected to be ready for operation by mid of this year.
He said the supply of the explosives is a very lucrative business which can see NCZ come out of its doldrums.
That will be very good news.We need the people of \kafue to be working and stay in employment,we need to produce our own fertilizer!abash Miombo and Maureen!NCZ is a very big factoruy that could supply the whole region.
yes we are back in money.mwanawasa is working
we see this almost every year. the Govt just pumps in enough money to last the season but where are the long term plans that are needed to keep it up and running for longer periods of time. Govt should put more effort towards making out fertilizer company profitable instead of getting goods on credit
I fail to understand why a co like NCZ fails to tick!
I was in Zambia recently and just managed to sneak into Kafuel.I can’t believe that the plant is opperational, the place looks out of date or rather dilapidated. Worse more its over shadowed by a flamboyant but, poorly located factory which the President officiated even before worke could start.It was under very controvesial circumstances that the go ahead was given in that, the Enviromental Heath of Zambia refused the permite to build this structure in the middle of a surbub.Mr Tyetye i hope you are telling the truth about the production at NCZ.By the way, that very time there was an aborted strike from the workers bloked by the Police.Sooo! sorry to the residents of Kafuel.
The entire region suffers from high cost and shortages of fertilizer. why cant NCZ think beyond just satisfying Zambias needs? Infact, we have not been so good satisfaying our own needs in terms of adquate and timely delivering of fertilizer supplies! Its time to think of re-investing in mordern machinery and processes including expansion of the current capacities! It would be very embarrasing to see NCZ colapsing into a coma again because of poor management and lack of re-investment into the plant.
Fish starts rotting from its head. Zambia is no exception. With a rotten GRZ, there is no question as to why our NCZ and others are limping. Why should it surprise Zambians that things in Zed have deteriorated? Levy has shown that he cannot take care of anything. Have you forgotten how his own mother died in a preventable accident due to her son’s inability to look after her? If he cannot even take care of his mother, how do you expect him to take care of total strangers? Worse more, he is so brainwashed that he only wants to appease foreigners. Wake up!
Is this company still operating?? Biggest joke I heard today!!. A country that cannot support its own agricultural industry. No offence to people that work there, but its time the government stepped in.
xyz, I don’t understand either. Does the company have a think tank group?? If not ,they need one. They need people that think everyday and come up with great startergic ideas. Many of these companies in Zambia need such offices.
Interesting to see all these comments about NCZ. NCZ used to provide ammonium nitrate porous prill and soluton to Kafironda and the company survived on this for a longtime. Fertilizer came in as a secondary product and at the time all fertilizer was bought by Namboard. Then came Chiluba and his bunch of thieves who opened the borders and gave business to their friends so that they could benefit from these deals as NCZ could not give them a cut. This resulted in the reduced market share for NCZ being eroded. Then NCZ was tranched for privatisation and during this period no meaning inverstment into plant and machinery was ever made. NCZ has made representation to Govt about the need cont’d
to finish the rehnbilitation works on the ammonium nitrate plant but Govt is not willing to fund this project and continues to push NCZ to produce fertilizer at very high cost. NCZ is technically insolvent so the sole shareholder who happen to be Govt need to recapitalise it. It is difficult for a company to operate without Capital. You can bring Jose Mourinho to Zambia but we still would not be able to win the World cup if the team is not given the necessary support in terms of funds to enable him do what he wants. NCZ is indeed in big trouble if GOvt does not pump in money. I have seen the recommendations they have made brilliant. Eg AEL can give the K133bn pa if they supply ANPP.
Then ther is Orica formerly Dyno which coulg get double what AEL would get. But Govt is not listening to them. remember NCZ is insolvent so it is difficult for them to borrow money from financial institutions. Lets all make Govt work up to see this dying company resurected.