BULAWAYO – MILLERS are optimistic of a bright future ahead of the harvesting season, after the country recorded normal to above-normal rainfall patterns, pointing to a good harvest for the 2024-2025 summer cropping season.
The good rains recorded countrywide set the country on a pedestal towards food self-sufficiency.
Millers in Bulawayo believe supplies by local farmers will lessen the import costs associated with sourcing grain from neighbouring countries.
“From last year 2024, we have moved volumes, we were milling something like two trucks per month, but from January up until December, we were starting to mill something like six to eight trucks a month. The increment in the tonnage was due to the quality of the maize,” a miller said.
“Contributions from local farmers will lessen cost associated with getting maize from other places and at the same time reduce prices,” another added.
Government through the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has created an enabling environment for millers to thrive and is set to issue an import embargo to promote local farmers.
GMAZ Southern Region Chairperson Mr David Moyo highlighted strides made by government to ensure food security.
“We will first concentrate on the local maize so that the farmers will see that it is a good thing to produce maize because the buyers are there. We want to prioritise the local maize over the foreign one, so we are hoping that since the maize is now drying up, we will start buying the maize from farmers with compensative prices,” he said.
The country recorded normal to above-normal rainfall patterns, indicating a good harvest for the 2024-2025 summer cropping season.
