Zim to import Zambian maize
http://www.theindependent.co.zw/
Friday, 11 May 2012 09:17
Herbert Moyo
ZIMBABWE has been forced to import maize from Zambia to avert starvation as
a result of a massive maize deficit largely attributed to the country’s
disastrous agricultural policies.
Ironically, Zambia used to import maize from Zimbabwe, but has recorded a
surplus in the last two seasons having profited from the influx of white
commercial farmers displaced by its southern neighbour’s controversial land
reform programme.
Agriculture minister Joseph Made has admitted Zimbabwe would have a deficit
of about one million tonnes, which has to be covered by imports from
countries like Zambia.
“About 45% of the maize that was planted this season is a write-off,” said
Made recently. “Last season, 333 637 hectares of maize were written off.
This year, the hectarage written off rose to 722 557, an increase of 117%.”
The Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) said on Monday the Food Reserve
Agency had begun destroying the huge stockpiles of rotting maize in a bid to
create space for this year’s harvest from June 1.
“Over 102 tonnes of rotten and discoloured maize is expected to be burnt in
the presence of the district authorities. Lombelombe is one such depot with
415,1 tonnes of maize on makeshift storage facilities made of pole,” ZNFU
said.
ZNFU’s head of outreach and member services Coillard Hamusimbi told the
Zimbabwe Independent through an email on Wednesday his country produced
2,853 million metric tonnes of maize this year with 1,035 million metric
tonnes as surplus. Last year Zambia produced a record three million metric
tonnes.
“Zambia exported and hopes to continue exporting to the DRC, Namibia, Kenya
and South Sudan in addition to Zimbabwe,” Hamusimbi said.
He also confirmed former Zimbabwean commercial farmers who were displaced by
the land reform programme were helping Zambia’s phenomenal agricultural
growth.
Hamusimbi said his country’s “new” farmers engaged in diversified production
of tobacco, maize, wheat and soya crops.
Commercial Farmers’ Union president Charles Taffs described Zimbabwe’s maize
deficit as a “deplorable state of affairs” which, however, could still be
reversed by adopting “investor-friendly policies guaranteeing security of
tenure to farmers”.
“Right now the land is of no value and we are in a spiral of diminishing
returns, thanks to the land reform programme which pushed farmers off their
land,” said Taffs. “Factor in the indigenisation policy and you have
self-inflicted harm. lt is time to stop this,” he said.