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Yeukai Tazira Herald Reporter

THE first 117 wagons of wheat imported by Government have started arriving in the country from Mozambique.

Delivery of the wheat started this week, following the last consignment of the 42 000 tonnes of drought relief maize which arrived from Maputo last week.

In a statement, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Mozambique Douglas Nyikayaramba said the delay in moving the wheat was for the drought relief maize to be cleared first from Mozambique.

“As at 29 March 2020, 81 wagons of wheat were at Chicualacuala waiting to be connected to Zimbabwe bound trains. An additional 36 wagons were loaded at Stema in Maputo as of 31 March 2020 and the train will depart anytime from now,’’ Ambassador Nyikayaramba said.

Lowlands Beacon, the wheat vessel, berthed at Stema on 26 February, 2020 and discharging operations commenced on the same day. However, the delay in the movement of wheat was to allow for the clearance of drought relief grain from Greco Ardennes.

“The wheat is part of the drought relief effort to mitigate shortages of flour for confectioneries,’’ Ambassador Nyikayaramba said.

He said only rail transport would be used to transport the wheat from Maputo to Zimbabwe.

The wheat is expected to be distributed to other provinces.