Zimbabwe: Country in Negotiations to Import More Maize

Harare

ZIMBABWE is negotiating with several countries in Southern Africa to import more maize to boost the national grain reserves.

In an interview yesterday, the Grain Marketing Board acting chief executive officer Retired Colonel Samuel Muvuti said negotiations for more contracts with other countries were critical as the country intensifies efforts to improve the reserves capacity.

Without disclosing the countries targeted, the GMB boss said negotiations were at an advanced stage.

Col Muvuti said the country had contracts to import maize from Malawi, but had not been receiving any over the past few weeks due to logistical problems in that country.

"We signed for a 400 000 tonnage supply of maize from Malawi but we are also targeting other countries within the region, especially those that are closer to us for a smooth delivery," Rtd Col Muvuti said.

He said the 400 000 tonnes of maize expected from Malawi will be kept in reserve silos but can always be distributed when need arises.

Rtd Col Muvuti said the country is currently relying on part of the maize imported early this year but added that this did not mean the country had no locally produced maize.

"When the country is empty we need about 1,8 million tonnes to feed the country for a year. We are not empty.

"We have not yet received all the grain quantities which the Agriculture Research and Extension Services officers projected the country will harvest."

He said GMB had also conducted its own survey which showed some farmers had maize ready for delivery but were facing transport problems.

"We are working out ways to assist farmers to bring their grain to our depots. It is a cumbersome process but efforts are being made."

The GMB boss dismissed speculation that the country only had in storage maize that could last the country two weeks, explaining that the current mealie meal shortage was being caused by other factors.

"Yes, we are aware there is no mealie meal in most retail outlets but this is sorely not because we have no maize."

He said there were various factors affecting mealie meal production, which also included the pricing of the product.

"We have met with some millers in a bid to try and identify what the problem was and concerns that cropped up included the unsustainable pricing of packaging.

"Millers indicated they were paying more for packaging alone than what was expected for them to charge for the whole packaged product," Rtd Col Muvuti said.

Some millers yesterday confirmed the high costs of packaging were affecting their sales.