ZIMBABWE – The Zimbabwean Government has issued 651 import permits to private companies, allowing them to procure at least 3.2 million tonnes of maize as part of comprehensive drought mitigation measures.
This import quantity significantly exceeds the nation’s annual maize requirement of 2.2 million tonnes, underscoring the urgency of the situation.
Speaking after a recent Cabinet meeting, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr. Anxious Masuka emphasized the critical role of public-private partnerships in enhancing food security.
“We have allowed the private sector to import as much as possible during this period to March next year so that they can supply appropriately priced, affordable mealie meal,” Dr. Masuka stated.
He also urged businesses not to exploit the situation by charging exorbitant prices.
Since the issuance of the permits, 400,000 tonnes of maize have been imported, mainly from South Africa, Zambia, and Mozambique.
Dr. Masuka highlighted the ongoing winter cereals production plan as another effective strategy to boost food security, with 121,982 hectares under wheat cultivation and 6,725 hectares dedicated to potatoes.
“We are on our way to harvesting a record 600,000 tonnes of wheat, contributing significantly to the wheat-based food security strategy,” he said.
Additionally, the Government has now allowed the importation of mealie meal at the household level.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr. Jenfan Muswere reported a 28 percent increase in irrigated land, from 169,000 hectares in 2019 to 217,000 hectares in 2024.
This expansion, the fastest since independence, is part of the Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Plan launched by President Mnangagwa.
Zimbabwe’s 10,600 dams currently hold over 10.6 billion cubic meters of water, capable of irrigating 2.2 million hectares, which supports the drive to expand irrigation to 496,000 hectares by 2030.
Dr. Muswere outlined four key models for managing climate change to achieve the envisioned irrigation development.
These models include irrigation development where infrastructure exists, targeting the development of about 20,686 hectares.
Approved in 2021, the Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Plan aims to develop 350,000 hectares for summer irrigation by 2025, with the goal of producing 1.8 million tonnes of summer cereals annually.
This production level is expected to meet the population’s consumption needs, estimated at 120 kilograms per person per year, even though the actual consumption is 92 kilograms per person per year.
These initiatives highlight the Government’s proactive approach to ensuring food security and mitigating the effects of climate change on agriculture.
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