Speculation that command agriculture harvest is exaggerated as govt imports maize despite import ban

Weekly publication, the Financial Gazette, has revealed that government is still importing maize through the port of Beira in Mozambique despite the fact that the government itself banned maize imports 5 months ago. The GMB depot in Murehwa received a consignment of maize from between 50 – 70 thirty-tonne trucks last week. This has led to speculation that the harvest expected from the Command Agriculture programme may not be as much as anticipated and that the imports are meant to cover up for the shortfall.

However, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Davison Marapira dismissed the claims saying:

Government imported a lot of grain last year, some of which had not been delivered when the ban was introduced in February.

Whoever told you that it was meant to cover up for production shortfall does not understand how government operates because we have not yet finished harvesting and a lot of grain is still to be delivered. How then can we cover up for a shortfall which we don’t know of as yet? We are not filling any gap, get it from me.

Millers, on the other hand, said that it takes two months for grain imports from Mexico to land in Zimbabwe.

More: Financial Gazette