LIVINGSTONE MARUFU/CLAYTON MASEKESA
Listed agro-industrial firm, National Foods Limited (NatFoods) has procured wheat requirements worth $50 million to supplement depleted national stocks and avert flour and bread shortages in the market.
NatFoods CEO Mike Lashbrook told Business Times that the company was accessing credit lines to ensure there is a constant wheat and flour supply in the market.
“Our monthly wheat requirement is around $8 million so in the next six months we have procured wheat requirements of above $48 million from our foreign suppliers,” Lashbrook said adding that the company was working closely with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe in ensuring that foreign suppliers of wheat are paid on time.
Currently, NatFoods has enough No more bread shortages – GMAZ Major flour producer secures $50m wheat stock wheat supplies to last till next year March and is also supplementing stock with local cereal.
Meanwhile the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) imported 60 000 tonnes of wheat recently under a prepayment facility.
Addressing journalists on Sunday at Mutare Dry port where the association had received part of the consignment, GMAZ chairman, Tafadzwa Musarara said payment delays had stalled the transportation of the wheat.
“Between now and December the country needs 60 000 tonnes of wheat and we are already covered on that one. The festive season will be taken care of and we do not expect any bread shortages,” explained Musarara.
According to GMAZ, the flour situation should have normalised by November 20.
“We should also remember that wheat is competing with fertiliser imports and this has delayed the speedy delivery of the wheat as the NRZ is being overwhelmed,” he said.
“We have talked to the various border authorities to give us a waiver on the clearing process of the trucks. The process usually takes three days, but we are happy that everything is being done just under 24hours,” he added. Zimbabwe requires about 460 000 tonnes of wheat annually.
The national wheat requirement is 40 000 tonnes a month and the current national consumption of bread stands at 1,8 million loaves a day
