The chairman of the Grain Millers Association, Tafadzwa Musarara, said they would source maize from Zambia and South Africa for the benefit of small and medium scale millers. “We are in the process of negotiating with a leading commercial bank so that we can secure financial resources to intensify the importation of maize from South Africa and Zambia in March. We intend to procure 150 000 tonnes of maize, which will be distributed to small and medium scale-millers,” he said.
He said farmers in the country had not adequately supplied the millers with maize owing to the continued dry spell. “The supply of mealie by the local industry is not enough for the market and we are optimistic that the forthcoming maize imports will go a long way in improving supply by the local industry,” he said. He said capacity utilisation in the milling industry was now at 30 percent, adding that production levels were expected to improve towards the end of the year in relation to economic improvement in the country.