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Columbus Mabika Herald Reporter

Millers yesterday welcomed the lifting of maize import ban, saying it was a step in the right direction in ensuring adequate stocks as well ensuring regular supply for the milling industry and manufacturing of stock-feed.

In a statement, chairman of the apex representative body of the milling industry, the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ), Mr Tafadzwa Musarara, said the move by Cabinet will allow those with free funds to import and ensure regular supply for the milling industry, complementing local stocks.

“The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) the apex representative body of the milling industry providing 98 percent national supply of flour and maize meal, welcomes the decision by the Cabinet to allow resumption of maize and wheat imports,” he said.

“These imports will compliment local stocks of maize and wheat yielded from the successful Command and Pfumvudza Agricultural programmes of 2021. We have noticed significant increase in demand of processed maize-meal and flour attributed to downward review of Covid-19 induced lockdowns, resulting in increase in economic activities and household food consumption.”

Mr Musarara said the resumption of wheat imports gives an opportunity to increase domestic wheat stocks pile in light of the standoff between Russia and Ukraine given that both countries account for 40 percent world wheat production and supply.

Shipping vessels have also drastically reduced their collection and loading activities in this region as insurance companies recently declared the area war-zone like.

“It is therefore, prudent that we, out of abundance of caution, import and build sufficient stocks in order to ensure that local bread flour price stability and availability remains, ceteris paribus, unaffected,” he said.

Mr Musarara said GMAZ wheat contract farming support program will continue this year in order to bolster local wheat farming as the demand for wheat processed products continue to rise largely informed by generational dietary preference changes which is gravitating towards wheat processed products.

The milling industry and stock feed manufacturers are allocated 45 000 tonnes and 30 000 tonnes of maize monthly, respectively.

The Government has been encouraging the milling industry and stock feed manufacturers to enter into contract farming for uninterrupted supply of their grain requirements.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development ministry recently delivered an update on the 2021/2022 summer production season, where it said a record total of 1 307 250 metric tonnes of grain had so far been delivered to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB).