BY MUNESU NYAKUDYA

Presenting food items worth over $145 000 to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces yesterday, GMAZ chairman Tafadzwa Musarara said: “Even when the weather is behaving as it is, we don’t panic much because our reserves can take us through while other interventions can be needed.”

He said the milling industry was a big beneficiary of command agriculture.

“From 2001 up to the commencement of command agriculture, this country imported maize worth nearly $4,7 billion and wheat worth nearly $1,5 billion. Since we started command agriculture, the first season we imported in excess of what we needed,” Musarara said.

“On the wheat side the country produced close to 200 000 tonnes and that is the biggest wheat harvest this country has ever had since 1965. If we are to talk about the amount saved by this harvest we are talking about close to $100 million of nostro money.”

Zimbabwe National Army chief of staff (logistics) Major-General Martin Chedondo said intended beneficiaries of the donated food would be, among others, medical institutions in all army and air force formations throughout the country.