The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) says it plans to import 1.4 million metric tonnes of maize from Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil among others.
Addressing journalists in Harare on Thursday, GMAZ chairman Tafadzwa Musarara said they expect to import the maize between May and July 30 2024 using various entry points into the country. He said (via NewZimbabwe.com):
We are aiming to bring in 1,4 million metric tonnes of maize between now and July 30, 2024, utilising all our frontiers. Beira port will dock maize shipments for the Eastern and Northern parts of the country.
Maputo will dock shipments into the Southern region of the country via Chicualacualla, and Durban will dock shipments into both the Southern and Northern regions.
Plumtree and Beitbridge will continue to provide gateway and expedited services for maize from South Africa.
We will be increasing our source countries to about 5, including Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Argentina, and America.
Musarara added that a GMAZ delegation will travel to Brazil to negotiate and conclude supply agreements of maize both white and yellow maize as well as rice. He said:
A GMAZ delegation will be in Sao Paulo and meeting members of the Associação Nacional dos Exportadores de Cereais (Brazilian Grain Exporters Association) to negotiate and conclude supply agreements of maize (White and Yellow) and rice.
Yellow Maize has a high nutrient content of Vitamin A. The delegation will also meet suppliers of industrial grain milling equipment.
It is prudent, and in the best national interest, to diversify our source countries so that we mitigate against the risks of ever-changing and unstable global geopolitics that continue to disrupt global commerce.
Zimbabwe has a grain deficit of over 680 000 metric tonnes mainly due to the El Nino-induced drought which disrupted the 2023/24 summer cropping season.
