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Zimbabwe is set to showcase the growing synergy between its mining and agricultural sectors, as plans for a US$400 million coal-to-fertiliser project in Gudo, Chiredzi, move forward. Anchored on rich local coal deposits, the initiative will convert the mineral resource into urea fertiliser, boosting agricultural productivity and supporting key export crops such as tobacco, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Ryan Chigoche
The project has already engaged the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, with Verify Engineering and its partners applying for a special mining grant, highlighting mining’s central role in driving rural industrialisation and national economic growth.
The plant, spearheaded by Verify Engineering in partnership with Rusununguko Nkululeko Trust and a Chinese investor, will ride on coal deposits that have been mined in the area for more than two decades.
Verify has operated a coal mine near the Mkwasine River since 2007, and the same resource will now feed into the fertiliser production facility.
Coal-to-fertiliser technology converts coal into synthetic gas, which is then processed into urea, one of the most widely used nitrogen-based fertilisers.
For Zimbabwe, where agriculture is viewed as the backbone of the economy and fertiliser shortages are a recurring challenge, the project is expected to be a game-changer.
Permanent Secretary for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Dr. Addmore Pazvakavambwa, said the plant would significantly boost fertiliser availability while reducing the country’s import bill.
“The coal-to-fertiliser project in rural Chiredzi will not only improve fertiliser supplies for our farmers but will also create employment and save foreign currency currently spent on imports,” he said.
Local authorities in Chiredzi have welcomed the development, pointing to its potential to reshape the district’s economy, which is heavily dependent on sugarcane production, where fertiliser is a key input. They indicated readiness to support the investors through incentives such as tax concessions.
At the provincial level, the project is being viewed as part of the government’s push to use mineral resources for rural industrialisation. Officials say the investment aligns with efforts to grow Masvingo’s economy and create new industrial hubs.
Verify Engineering’s track record in mineral-based industrial projects has bolstered confidence, with the company having previously established Zimbabwe’s first medical oxygen plant in Mutare, which proved critical during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mining and agriculture, Zimbabwe’s two largest foreign currency earners, are increasingly becoming interconnected through projects such as this one.
Mining contributes about 75% of the country’s export receipts, while agriculture accounts for roughly 15–20%, led by tobacco, sugar, and horticulture.
By linking coal mining to fertiliser production, the project demonstrates how mining can directly support agriculture’s productivity, while agriculture provides sustained demand for mining-derived inputs — creating a mutually reinforcing cycle that strengthens the country’s balance of payments.
With abundant coal reserves ensuring feedstock supply, and with the Mines Ministry already engaged through the licensing process, the project reflects how mining can be leveraged to power agriculture, stimulate rural economies, and cement beneficiation as a pillar of national development.
