President Emmerson Mnangagwa said that the country has saved up to US$300 million in import costs following a record wheat harvest in 2022 of over 375 000 tonnes.
Mnangagwa made the remarks during a roundtable meeting on Zimbabwe’s arrears clearance and debt resolution in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, on the sidelines of the African Development Bank annual meetings. He said:
I am pleased to highlight that Zimbabwe is now food secure.
We are self-sufficient in wheat production, since 2022, saving up to US$300 million dollars annually, in import costs.
A maize bumper harvest, attributed to favourable rainfall, increased irrigation capacity and agronomy support all supported by Government programmes, is now the norm.
Pfumvudza/Intwasa Climate Proofed agriculture, a model focusing on the efficient use of inputs, labour and water resources among small-scale and communal farmers has had tremendous results on household food security, nutrition and incomes.
Zimbabwe requires about 360 000 tonnes of wheat annually to ensure an adequate supply of flour for bread and confectionery.
This year, the Government is targetting 85 000 hectares, compared to 80 388 hectares planted in 2022.
In Zimbabwe, wheat is grown entirely under irrigation in the winter and is therefore not affected by rainfall patterns so long as the rainfall is adequate to fill up the dams which supply the irrigation.
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