Vusumuzi Dube
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
AS the harvesting season for early-planted winter wheat approaches, the Government which is anticipating another bumper harvest has said the surplus will be added to the Strategic Grain Reserve to cater for the population that require assistance.
It is said that the country’s food balance sheet to March 2025 indicates that 6.2 million rural population will require assistance.
Cabinet on Wednesday received an update on the 2023/2024 Summer Crops Marketing and Food Security Outlook to March 2025 and the 2024 Winter Cereals Plan as presented by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka.
In a post-Cabinet briefing, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said taking into consideration the rural population requirements to March 2025 and the school feeding programme to April 2025, the maximum amount of grain required is 464 608.54 metric tonnes.
“Current stocks in the Strategic Grain Reserve, comprising wheat, maize and traditional grains are at 264 246 metric tonnes excluding 32 314 metric tonnes imported by Government to date. The 200 362.54 metric tonnes shortfall will be met from the winter wheat harvest surplus on the national annual requirement estimated at 240 000 metric tonnes as well as additional Government grain imports estimated at 300 000 metric tonnes,” he said.
He said the Government will also accelerate depot-to-depot grain movement for the current period of August to October 2024.
The Minister said the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) was now operating 50 agro-shops, supported by 12 hammer mills mostly in rural areas and peri-urban depots.
Dr Muswere said this was part of the Government price stabilisation thrust, and to enhance product availability, accessibility and affordability.
He added: “The commodities sold at these agro-shops include mealie-meal, sugar, rice, salt, flour, soap and cooking oil. Silo Foods’ complementary products include coffee, bran, dried kapenta, flour, grits, maize-meal, salt, silo samp and traditional mealie-meal.”
The Minister said the private sector is expected to import all stock-feed requirements to March 2025 of 400 000 metric tonnes and urban maize requirements of up to 450 000 metric tonnes.
He said to date 567 160 metric tonnes has been imported, while import permits worth 1.8 million metric tonnes of maize are active.
Regarding the Winter Cereals Plan, Dr Muswere said 121 982 hectares of wheat, 2 100 hectares of maize, 3 732 hectares of potatoes, 6 449 hectares of barley and 3 000 hectares of seed wheat were planted.
“The wheat-based food security strategy is therefore sufficiently robust to meet our needs to March 2025.”
Online Reporter