Zimbabwe: GMB Receives 67 000 Tonnes of Maize From Malawi

The Grain Marketing Board has received 67 000 tonnes of maize from Malawi, to ease food shortages in the country.

In an interview with the Herald Business, Norton GMB depot manager Mr Masauso Kampata said the tonnage received would be distributed to most parts of the country, which have been affected by last year's drought. "Our mandate is to ensure that areas which received little rainfall last year get as much food as possible as we seek to ensure that food security at household level is achieved," he said.

Part of the maize will be distributed in Matabeleland North and South and Masvingo. Food imports have helped ease food shortages particularly in areas in which little rains fell in the 2006/07 farming season. Mr Kampata said people should not panic since the Government had come up with strategies to ensure that there was enough food for the nation, and that no one would starve.

He urged farmers to deliver surplus maize to their nearest GMB depots. Recently, former GMB acting chief executive officer Retired Colonel Samuel Muvuti said some farmers were still holding on to their maize harvest, adding: "Our logistics team is working closely with farmers to ensure that maize is delivered in time. "From examinations that we have carried out so far, some farmers, especially in areas like Mashonaland Central, East, West and Manicaland, are still delivering their maize."

GMB is working closely with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to reduce the deficit of maize to about 260 000 tonnes. Zimbabwe requires at least 1,8 million tonnes of maize annually, a figure that has been difficult to achieve during the past seven years due to recurrent droughts and reduced productivity on farms.