Online Reporter
Theseus Mauruki Shambare
LARGE-scale farmers and Government officials have backed a new grain import levy and local procurement framework aimed at strengthening domestic production, stabilising grain markets and accelerating Zimbabwe’s push towards food sovereignty under Statutory Instrument 87 of 2025.
The policy shift introduces levies on key grain imports while tightening local sourcing requirements for processors, in what authorities and farmers describe as a coordinated effort to protect domestic producers, improve market certainty and reduce reliance on foreign grain.
Permanent Secretary for Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Professor Obert Jiri, said Government was deliberately prioritising local production as part of a broader strategy to build a resilient and self-sufficient agricultural sector.
“There is no country that developed and became sovereign while depending on imports, especially when we talk of staple food,” said Prof Jiri.
He said the policy was not aimed at closing borders, but at ensuring imports do not distort local markets or discourage investment in domestic production.
“The idea is to promote local production while liberalising importation but without prejudicing local farmers,” he said.
Under Statutory Instrument 87 of 2025, processors including millers and stockfeed manufacturers are required to source at least 40 percent of their grain and oilseed requirements locally, with the threshold set to rise to 100 percent by 2028.
The levy system complements this framework by imposing charges on selected grain imports, including maize, soybeans and wheat, as part of efforts to align import prices with domestic production costs and protect local competitiveness.
Treasury Secretary Mr George Guvamatanga confirmed the introduction of the levy, saying it is designed to eliminate distortions that disadvantage local farmers.
“It is the considered position of Treasury that any importation of hard wheat in excess of the stipulated threshold should attract an appropriate levy or charge,” he said.
He said the mechanism would ensure parity between imported grain and locally produced commodities while helping to conserve foreign currency.
Mr Guvamatanga added that levy proceeds would be ring-fenced to support farmer payments through the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) and finance smallholder irrigation development programmes, although all funds would still pass through the Consolidated Revenue Fund under public finance regulations.
The policy comes as Government seeks to address persistent challenges in agricultural infrastructure, particularly irrigation development, where several schemes remain incomplete due to waterlogging, dry dams and delayed energisation by ZESA.
Some irrigation projects in Matabeleland South have stalled due to low dam levels, while others in Masvingo remain inaccessible because of flooding and poor site conditions.
Farmer organisations say the policy is already restoring confidence in the sector and improving long-term production planning.
Chairman of the Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) 200ha+ Club Zimbabwe, Mr Tichaona Mapfoche, said the measures provide much-needed certainty for large-scale producers.
“We welcome and fully support Government measures to prioritise the procurement of locally produced grain,” he said.
“These measures create a stable and predictable market for farmers, strengthen confidence in domestic production, and ensure Zimbabwean grain is the first choice before imports are considered.”
He said policy stability would encourage investment, expand output and strengthen rural economies.
The SGR 200ha+ Club Zimbabwe, which brings together more than 500 large-scale farmers, is targeting expansion to over 1 000 members by 2030, with plans to significantly scale up national grain output in line with Zimbabwe’s food self-sufficiency and Vision 2030 goals.
