Demand for food in Zimbabwe has increased and it will continue to increase because the population is also increasing

ZIMBABWE’S food demand in expected to increase by 12 percent by 2030, raising the need to improve agricultural productivity in terms of food crops.
Presenting on Achieving Self Sufficiency in Maize Production: What Ought to be done to Achieve 2-Million Tonnes of Maize per Year at the Annual National Agri-Business Conference last week, agricultural expert Obert Jiri said to be food sufficient Zimbabwe needs two million tonnes of maize however with the growing population demand for food is expected to increase by 12 percent.
“Demand for food in Zimbabwe has increased and it will continue to increase because the population is also increasing as a result the two million tones may not be enough,” Jiri said.
He added that strategies alone would not put food on the table and will not produce the much needed maize.
“Strategies need to be actioned, that action comes when we have technologies and innovations that allow us to implement the strategies,” he said.
He argued that Zimbabwe’s maize story needs to change and to change the story political will and policy implementation was needed.
Jiri emphasized on the need to finance the smallholder farmers who are the bulk producers of maize in Zimbabwe
“There is need for the finance sector to come up with strategies to finance smallholder farmers who produce the maize.”
Subsidies are also key in achieving the two million tones. In Zambia and Malawi for instance, they are giving their farmers 25 kg bags of seed, four bags of basal fertilser and four bags top dressing fertliser enough to cover a hectare of maize. In Zimbabwe farmers under the Presidential Input Scheme are given 10kg of seed, which is not enough to produce the much needed grain.