Zimbabwe: Wheat Supply Remains Critical

Zimbabwe's wheat supplies remain critical due to logistical challenges arising from failure by the National Railway of Zimbabwe to speedily move the grain from Beira, Mozambique. Zimbabwe is faced with inconsistent supplies of bread as flour millers have cut on production due to wheat shortages. This has seen some unscrupulous retailers taking advantage of the situation by raising bread prices by as much as 50 percent

The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe, the apex representative body of grain milling industry procured 30 000 tonnes of imported wheat to ameliorate the current bread shortages. In order to immediately stabilize the bread supply, NRZ committed to bring at least 50 wagons a day into Harare.

The reasons said by NRZ,

• The rail operator only service routes starting at Machipanda Border into different parts of Zimbabwe.
• NRZ only picks goods from Machipanda to anywhere in the country and delays from Beira are not our issue.
• This is an issue of effectiveness by the player who services the Beira to Machipanda route.
• Another factor to consider in the transportation of wheat from Beira is the volatile weather there. If it is moist, it becomes difficult to load because it will get spoilt.

The country needs at least 400 000 tonnes of wheat per year to meet its demand. On a monthly basis, wheat consumption is estimated at 38 000 tonnes for the production of bread, confectioneries, biscuits and other flour-related products.

Unscrupulous- not showing any moral values or not honest
Ameliorate- make something better