Zimbabwe targets US$1 billion import savings

Zimbabwe is set to save more than US$1 billion annually in food imports as the Government intensifies efforts to boost national food security and cut dependency on foreign supplies.

Data from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) shows the country's food import bill ballooned to US$976,1 million in 2024, up 55,2 percent from US$628,9 million in 2023, largely due to drought-induced deficits. Grain imports—particularly maize—accounted for the bulk of the outlay, along with oilseeds and related products.

To curb the trend, the Government has introduced Statutory Instrument 87 of 2025 (Agricultural Marketing Authority Grain, Oilseed and Products Amendment Regulations No. 2), which restricts imports and mandates staged local sourcing by processors. Beginning April 2026, processors must source at least 40 percent of their grain and oilseed requirements locally, with the threshold set to rise to 100 percent by April 2028.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary, Professor Obert Jiri, said the SI was designed to protect farmers and consolidate self-sufficiency.

"In the 2024-25 season, we produced enough grain to take us to the next season—2,3 million tonnes of maize and almost 600 000 tonnes of traditional grains," Jiri said. "While there are pockets of deficit, we deployed logistics to move grain where it was needed. Borders were initially closed to encourage local off-take, but are now reopened for imports mainly for stock feeds. SI 87 ensures unnecessary imports do not undermine local production."

Industry players welcomed the development. Zimbabwe Farmers Union secretary-general, Paul Zakariya, said the regulation would "ensure Zimbabweans consume what they produce," adding that keeping production local sustains livelihoods, preserves foreign currency, and opens export opportunities.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president, Dr Shadreck Makombe, hailed the SI as a catalyst for scaling up production and positioning Zimbabwe for regional supply, while Buy Zimbabwe executive chairperson, Munyaradzi Hwengwere, called it a reward for farmer productivity that strengthens industry competitiveness.

Zimbabwe Integrated Commercial Farmers Union (ZICFU) president, Mrs Mayiwepi Jiti, noted that scaling up production to meet SI requirements will need targeted support in finance, irrigation, infrastructure, seed varieties, crop diversification and farmer training. She also stressed the importance of a "production parity price" to guarantee fair returns for farmers, while warning that import restrictions could create risks of market dominance, supply chain disruptions and unfair competition.

"With proper monitoring, support for farmer cooperatives, and promotion of competition, these risks can be mitigated," Jiti said.

This year, Zimbabwe harvested 2,9 million tonnes of cereals—well above the national requirement of 2,2 million tonnes—including a record 634 000 tonnes of traditional grains. Officials say the bumper crop puts the country on track to achieve food sovereignty while driving growth in the agro-industrial sector.