Online Reporter
Martin Kadzere
Business Reporter
GOVERNMENT has reduced import levies on key agricultural commodities and introduced new duties on others, effective September 8, 2026, to promote local production and strengthen domestic value chains.
Under the revised tax framework by the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA), the import levy for maize has been reduced to US$15 per tonne from US$40 for companies complying with the policy requirement to source at least 40 percent of their raw materials locally.
Non-compliant companies face a higher penalty rate of US$25 per tonne through March 31, 2027, at which point the overall implementation and levy structure will be subject to a review.
A new standard levy of US$10 per tonne has been introduced for maize bran imports, while the duty on soyabeans has been halved from US$20 down to US$10 per tonne, according to AMA.
New levies of US$20 per tonne take effect across several oilseed derivatives and animal feed inputs, specifically targeting crude oil, sunflower cake and cotton cake, while the import levy for soya meal has been reduced to US$20 per tonne from US$35.
AMA chief executive Ms Alice Mapfiza said the new levy on crude oil, a critical component in cooking oil manufacturing, is designed to drive private investment into domestic crop production and irrigation infrastructure.
“This is being done within the framework of supporting local production and strengthening the value chains, and this should incentivise the industry to support local production so that we cut the import bill and support the creation of local jobs,” Ms Mapfiza said in an interview.
The Government has also adjusted grain tariffs to protect the domestic harvest, after putting a US$89,25 per tonne levy on soft wheat imports to ensure milling companies exhaust local stocks following the recent harvesting season.
For hard wheat, imports attract a zero percent duty within a 30 percent import threshold, but any imported volumes exceeding that limit trigger a tax of US$89,25 per tonne.
