|
Back to Index
Zimbabwe:
Maize imports continue despite 'bumper harvest'
Njabulo Ncube,
The Financial Gazette
April
28, 2005
http://www.fingaz.co.zw/fingaz/2005/April/April28/8338.shtml
Despite claims
that Zimbabwe realised an all-time high maize harvest of 2,4 million
tonnes in the 2003/2004 agricultural season, the erstwhile regional
breadbasket has been importing grain in the past nine months to
augment depleted stocks, a report by the Famine Early Warning System
(FEWSNET) reveals.
At least 102
000 metric tonnes of maize, 17 000 metric tonnes of rice and 17
000 metric tonnes of beans had been imported into the country through
informal cross border trade between July 2004 and last month, according
to the report.
The latest revelations
come as it also emerged Harare needs a staggering US$420 million
for maize imports to cover a serious grain deficit estimated to
be 1.2 million metric tonnes between April 2005 and the next harvest
in March 2006.
Zimbabwe, which
last week held stocks of about 60 000 tonnes, had together with
Malawi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo been active participants
in the informal trade of maize grain, a staple food in most southern
African nations.
The country,
which last year refused international food aid claiming it had enough
to feed its starving rural population, imported 13 000 metric tonnes
mainly from Zambia in the nine months.
During the same
period, it also imported unspecified tonnages of rice and beans
from Zambia, now home to a number of white commercial farmers who
left Zimbabwe in the wake of the land reform programme meant to
benefit the landless black majority.
The government
acquired about 4 500 commercial farms from white farmers for redistribution
to nearly 140 000 landless blacks. However, statistics at hand show
that for the past five years since the onset of land reform, the
new farmers have failed to feed the nation hence an upsurge in the
importation of grain by both the formal and informal sectors from
neighbouring countries.
Harare has also
in recent weeks inc-reased imports from South Africa where it is
understood to be purchasing white maize at US$120 per tonne.
Malawi, another
southern Africa nation reeling from severe drought-induced food
shortages blamed on poor rains, also emerged a bigger dabbler in
the maize informal trade than Zimbabwe, procuring a total of 71
000 metric tonnes, mostly from Mozambique.
"The flow of
trade was in the expected direction as both Malawi and Zimbabwe
had cereal deficits whereas the major exporters-Mozambique and Zambia-had
above average harvests," the FEWSNET report said, adding informal
maize exports into Zimbabwe could have been much higher had the
country not imposed restrictive taxes and levies, which only favoured
the state-owned Grain Marketing Board (GMB).
The GMB is the
country's sole trader of grain and as such it is a criminal offence
for anyone to trade in grain.
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
TOP
|
