· Its weekly import of white corn from South Africa has risen
to an 11-year high as food crisis deteriorated and the government had
lifted the ban on the import of genetically modified grain.
There is no let up of the massive food crisis that the cash strapped
Zimbabwe is undergoing. Its weekly import of white corn from South
Africa has risen to an 11-year high as food crisis deteriorated and
the government had lifted the ban on the import of genetically
modified grain.
Zimbabwe imported 16,114 tons of the variety of the grain in the week
ended January 31. It is incidentally the highest weekly tonnage since
February 2009, going by the figures released by the South African
Grain Information Service. The country is in the grip of a worst hit
drought since 40-years, leaving many in a state of deprivation since
they cannot afford food. There is a demand –supply mismatch of one
million tons for this season.
South Africa mainly produces genetically modified corn, which the
Zimbabwean government did not permit on account of the ban on GM food
imposed by the government. The ban has now is lifted. Zimbabwe has
imported just 66,524 tons of white corn from South Africa in the
season that began on April 27. Zimbabwe imported 257,594 tons in the
2013-14 season and over 120,000 tons in 2016-17. In the 2008-2009, the
country brought over 500,000 tons from its southern neighbor.
