The government said that the country has enough grain to cover the next 5 months from previous harvests, and will import maize to augment the 2018/19 harvest which is projected to be low.
Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Settlement Vangelis Haritatos assured the nation that no-one will starve. He said:
We still have in excess of five months’ maize in stock. People should take note that this is before the current 2018/2019 maize season deliveries.
The Government will not hesitate to import maize to supplement our supplies and no one will go hungry.
The government recently announced new producers prices for major grains and farmers expressed satisfaction with the development.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) president Mr Shadreck Makombe had this to say:
The Government raised the producer prices, but inputs, especially the hybrid seeds, that have been currently introduced, are pegged at high prices.
This will leave farmers to grow low yield seeds which are affordable and stop us from reaching maximum production levels.
The prices are as follows:
- Maize – RTGS$726 per tonne
- Wheat – RTGS$1089.69 per tonne
- Soya – RTGS$918 per tonne
- Cotton – RTGS$1950 per tonne