Source: RBZ release $20 million for wheat imports – NewsDay Zimbabwe June 20, 2018

THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe yesterday released the $20 million requested by millers to import part of the 200 000 metric tonnes of wheat from Canada and Germany to avert a bread shortage.

BY FREEMAN MAKOPA

The 200 000 tonnes which was sourced by the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe will, however come in batches until the country has harvested its winter wheat.

GMAZ last week wrote to the RBZ requesting $11 million to pay for the first batch of the grain expected to dock at Beira Port in Mozambique this week.

Millers yesterday said they were now working on logistics to transport the wheat into the country.

“Our logistics team is now working on how to transport the 30 000 tonnes of wheat which docks this week from Beira into the country whose arrival in Harare we are expecting starting next week and we owe this to the central bank for their swift response,” GMAZ spokesperson, Garikai Chaunza said.

“Our national wheat stocks were fast depleting and we are left with grain that will take the nation up to June 26.”

He said the country required at least 400 000 metric tonnes of wheat per year to meet demand of about 950 000 loaves of bread per day.

Annual local production capacity stands at 200 000 metric tonnes, leaving a shortfall of 200 000 metric tonnes.