adminIt thus makes a lot of sense for the Government and other stakeholders to mobilise resources towards the continued production of wheat.
Yet, in recent months, there has been an upsurge in wheat flour imports, essentially putting wheat production in jeopardy.
There is nothing wrong with imports when there is a shortage but there is everything wrong with it when very little is being done to support wheat production.
Land reform has parcelled out land to the majority of the people to engage in agriculture.
Beneficiaries of the land reform view farming as a serious business from which they must make a profit.
Now when huge amounts of wheat flour are imported into the country, it renders useless the growing of wheat, yet simple economics tells us no economy can solely depend on imports for growth.
On Monday, the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe advocated the re-introduction of duty on imported wheat flour as a way of limiting the quantities of flour coming into the country.
It must be noted that we have never achieved self-sufficiency in wheat production and that there is always need for us to import certain quantities of bristling wheat for baking purposes.
Unregulated wheat flour imports can easily kill wheat production as millers find it cheaper to import flour than to buy wheat from farmers.
We believe the re-introduction of duty is a sure way of protecting the local industry and ensure farmers continue to derive value from growing wheat.
There is need for stakeholders in the industry to work together towards finding a lasting solution to the wheat production problems.
If stakeholders decide to save millions of dollars spent on imports to support farmers to produce wheat then there are issues related to inputs shortages, electricity, irrigation and finance that must also be tackled.
Let the money being spent on imports be channelled towards growing wheat by ensuring farmers have uninterrupted power supply, functioning irrigation infrastructure and have the finance to buy inputs.
If this is agreed upon, then surely farmers will continue to see value in wheat production.
It makes little sense to advocate punitive duty on imports when very little is being done to support farmers grow wheat.
If on the other hand we believe, because of the challenges of power supply and irrigation infrastructure that we face, we are better off importing wheat flour than growing wheat, then again, as a nation we need to take a position.
Obviously such a move would kill the industry? What happens when our foreign suppliers encounter production problems?
These are issues that need to be taken into account in coming up with a position regarding the direction we should take as a country on whether to grow wheat or
import wheat flour.
Having said this, we consider the route of empowering our farmers to grow wheat is the way to go. Let wheat be grown in abundance so that millers can buy from the farmers.
It must also be borne in mind that wheat production is a way of livelihood for many people, both directly and indirectly.
There are farmers who produce it and the workers who earn a living from it, hence the need to support it.
Online Reporter