By Staff Reporter

Beira Mozambique: Zimbabwe, through the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe, GMAZ, has received 30 000 tonnes of wheat the association sourced from Germany.

The acquisition is the first batch of the 200 000 metric tonnes of the grain which the millers’ APEX representative body, last month, sourced from Canada and Germany.

Tafadzwa Musarara, the GMAZ chairman, told reporters in Beira Mozambique on Saturday that the next batch of wheat was expected to dock at the same port mid-July.

“This shipment has come after the intervention of the cabinet chairman on food security and nutrition committee, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, and we are working with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe so that we are able to take the second shipment of the same which is scheduled for around 20 July,” said Musarara.

“On this note, I am pleased to announce to the nation that we have enough wheat on the way,” he said.

Musarara said national wheat consumption was increasing owing to changing dietary needs.

“The country is currently consuming 38 000 tonnes of wheat per month for the production of bread, confectioneries, biscuits and other flour related products,” Musarara said.

The 30 000 metric tonnes of wheat which came after the national wheat stocks were fast depleting should reach Harare early next week.

The country needs at least 400 000 metric tonnes of wheat per year to meet its demand of about 950 000 loaves of bread per day.

Government statistics say annual production capacity stands at 200 000 metric tonnes, leaving a shortfall of 200 000 metric tonnes.