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Zimbabwe to import 1 million tonnes of maize
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Zimbabwe is projected to import approximately 1 million tonnes of maize during the 2025/26 agricultural season, according to a new report by the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (FAS USDA). The figure represents a 25 percent decline from the previous season's 1.3 million tonnes, thanks to improved domestic yields following more favourable weather conditions.
Although local production has shown signs of recovery, Zimbabwe remains a net importer of maize. National annual consumption still outpaces production by around 850,000 tonnes, forcing the country to continue sourcing maize from regional suppliers to bridge the gap. The government has relied on maize imports since the early 2000s, when land reform programmes significantly disrupted commercial agriculture.
Imports are expected to resume during the second half of the season, when domestic reserves begin to dwindle. South Africa is again expected to be the main supplier, with an exportable maize surplus of about 1.5 million tonnes this year. Zimbabwe, which levies no import duty on maize, continues to benefit from this regional trade flow.
However, the Ministry of Lands, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development has proposed a temporary ban on cereal imports to protect local producers from market flooding and price suppression. The proposal has been welcomed by many farmers, who argue that unrestricted imports undermine efforts to revive the country's agricultural productivity.
In the 2024/25 season, Zimbabwe imported 1.3 million tonnes of maize, almost double the 700,000 tonnes brought in the year before. The spike was largely attributed to prolonged dry spells that weakened domestic production and raised dependence on imports. Of that, South Africa supplied 835,000 tonnes of white maize and 440,000 tonnes of yellow maize—closely resembling the trend observed in 2023/24.
Despite the encouraging upswing in local harvests this year, experts warn that Zimbabwe's vulnerability to climate shocks and structural issues in the agricultural sector means the country will likely continue to rely on external maize supplies in the foreseeable future.
Although local production has shown signs of recovery, Zimbabwe remains a net importer of maize. National annual consumption still outpaces production by around 850,000 tonnes, forcing the country to continue sourcing maize from regional suppliers to bridge the gap. The government has relied on maize imports since the early 2000s, when land reform programmes significantly disrupted commercial agriculture.
Imports are expected to resume during the second half of the season, when domestic reserves begin to dwindle. South Africa is again expected to be the main supplier, with an exportable maize surplus of about 1.5 million tonnes this year. Zimbabwe, which levies no import duty on maize, continues to benefit from this regional trade flow.
However, the Ministry of Lands, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development has proposed a temporary ban on cereal imports to protect local producers from market flooding and price suppression. The proposal has been welcomed by many farmers, who argue that unrestricted imports undermine efforts to revive the country's agricultural productivity.
In the 2024/25 season, Zimbabwe imported 1.3 million tonnes of maize, almost double the 700,000 tonnes brought in the year before. The spike was largely attributed to prolonged dry spells that weakened domestic production and raised dependence on imports. Of that, South Africa supplied 835,000 tonnes of white maize and 440,000 tonnes of yellow maize—closely resembling the trend observed in 2023/24.
Despite the encouraging upswing in local harvests this year, experts warn that Zimbabwe's vulnerability to climate shocks and structural issues in the agricultural sector means the country will likely continue to rely on external maize supplies in the foreseeable future.
Source - online
