HARARE – National Foods Holdings has initiated an importation program for maize to cover the expected deficit owing to the EL Nino-induced drought.
The company requires 200 000 tonnes of maize each year for uninterrupted supply of its food manufacturing processes.
“National Foods has a substantial import program in place for raw maize and it is expected that supplies to the market will be consistent for the foreseeable future,” Edwin Manikai, the company’s independent non-executive chairman said in a statement accompanying the results for the six months ended 31 December 2023.
“Mazie volumes were disappointing declining by 9.5% over the comparative period although there was some recovery toward the end of the current period under review.”
The country’s largest food manufacturer’s primary raw materials include grains such as maize, rice and wheat.
The southern African country requires 2.2 million tons of the staple grain annually for human and livestock consumption.
As a result of an El Nino-induced drought, Zimbabwe’s main maize harvest is predicted to decline to 1.1 million tonnes in 2024, posing a serious danger to food security.