Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo
NATIONAL Foods Limited (NFL) has commended Government initiatives in improving wheat production, which has seen millers reducing their import bill as they are now able to access wheat locally.
Over the years, the country could not meet national requirements and had to import wheat from other countries.
With the advent of the Second Republic, the Government implemented initiatives to boost production, which has seen the country reach a milestone in wheat production by harvesting 375 000 tonnes of the cereal in 2023, the highest ever recorded since wheat growing began in 1966.
Zimbabwe requires 360 000 tonnes of wheat for annual national consumption.
In an interview during the recent tour of National Foods’ new flour milling plant in Bulawayo, NFL Southern Region production executive Mr Ngqabutho Moyo said the company is also engaged in an outgrower scheme, which also assists in reducing the import bill.
“With this improved wheat production in the country, it’s now easy to get wheat from the Grain Marketing Board (GMB). The improvement in production makes things easier for millers as it makes logistics a lot more manageable,” said Mr Moyo.
“For us, we source both local wheat and some that we import. This year we obtained our own through PHI, a sort of contract farming scheme, and we expect about 60 000 tonnes from that. We supplement this with some from the Grain Marketing Board.
“With our 70–30 policies as a country, we then import 30 per cent of the wheat from outside.”
To boost production, the Government’s initiatives include supporting wheat production through private contractors, the National Enhanced Agricultural Productivity Scheme (NEAPS), and the Presidential Wheat Support Scheme, all while ensuring an adequate water supply for irrigation and a stable power supply.
According to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, an assessment of 151 major dams across the country shows that the available water is adequate to irrigate 120 000 hectares (ha) of wheat, enough to meet the season’s ambitious target of 600 000 tonnes, which would surpass last year’s record output of 563 961 tonnes.
If achieved, the surplus wheat production could mark a turning point in the nation’s agricultural sector, reducing reliance on imports and opening new export opportunities.
Meanwhile, NFL has installed a US$6.5 million state-of-the-art flour milling plant in Bulawayo, with a capacity to mill 300 tonnes of wheat per day.
