The Zimbabwean government says it needs to import 700,000 tonnes of maize to avert food shortages. Other estimates suggest the figure may be closer to 900,000 tonnes.
John Robertson is a Zimbabwean economist. He says: “Paying for maize imports will be a big challenge unless [the Zimbabwean government] diverts funds from elsewhere … [The] government is failing to pay for many services and I believe it may leave the issue of food imports to the private sector.”
Tafadzwa Musararais is the president of the privately-owned Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe. He says the Association has secured 600,000 tonnes of maize from Zambia at a cost of $120 million U.S.
To read the full article, go to: http://www.irinnews.org/report/101496/zimbabwe-plunges-towards-a-food-crisis [1]
Photo:Impact of a long dry spell on maize in Mhondoro-Ngezi district, about 160km south of the capital, Harare. Credit: IRIN