HARARE – The Zimbabwe government says is not importing maize as the country is expecting 1.8 million metric tonnes from the 2021/2022 harvest, enough to feed the population, an official said Thursday.
“It’s not true. Zimbabwe government is not importing any maize, we are amassing enough for our strategic grain reserves from the current harvest, plus carryover of 500,000 metric tonnes from last season,” said John Basera, the secretary for lands and agriculture.
Commenting on revelations by private millers under the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe that at least 400,000 tonnes of grain would be imported from Malawi and Zambia, Basera said: “We only suspended import duty for citizens and private millers who would like to import maize for their own industrial use. Remember the private millers are now compelled to produce at least 40 percent of their requirements locally, so those who failed to support local production will have to use their own free funds to import.
“We are food secure on account of 1.8 million metric tonnes of grain production this year plus 500,000 metric tonnes in reserve.”
The government says maize output is projected to decline 43 percent in the 2021/2022 agricultural season due to a poor distribution of rainfall.
