THE retail price of top dressing fertiliser, otherwise known as ammonium nitrate (AN), will drop significantly after duty on ammonia gas — a key ingredient in the manufacture of fertilisers — was suspended with immediate effect.

This was in response to a request for duty exemption on the product by Sable Chemicals, the sole manufacturer of AN, which operates from Kwekwe. Ammonia gas is the raw material in the production of AN.

Sable applied for the suspension of duty on the basis that the country would be able to save scarce foreign currency by importing ammonia and converting it to AN as opposed to bringing into the country the finished product.