Government suspends maize imports

Zimbabwe has with immediate effect suspended all maize and maize meal imports until further notice.

In a statement by the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) all grain milers are now directed to buy their maize from the Grain Marketing Board (GMB).

The development comes at a time when Zimbabweans especially those in rural areas, are all smiles in anticipation of a bumper harvest owing to heavy rains that were received in the country.

The Agricultural Marketing Authority also revealed that it will no longer be issuing out import permits for maize and maize meal.

All the import permits for grain that were issued by the authority will also expire on 31 May this year.

The latest notice is under the provisions of AMA Act statutory instrument 140 of 2013 which regulates participation in the production, buying, processing of any grain, oilseeds and products by producers, buyers or processors.

Central bank authorities have also revealed that the bumper harvest achieved this year means that Zimbabwe will not import any maize thereby saving over 300 million United States dollars which will be channelled to productive sectors. -ZBC News