Grain shortage shuts Zimbabwe's mills
June 23, 2006
Johannesburg - Zimbabwe’s three major milling companies have switched off their milling plants because of a serious shortage of grain in the country, Zim Online reported on Friday.
It quoted sources in the milling industry as saying the state-owned Grain Marketing Board (GMB) had failed to deliver grain to millers forcing most firms to switch off their plants.
"There is nothing at major millers. We have not been milling for two weeks now," said an official at a Harare milling company.
"The major millers are without grain and we are not getting any explanation from the GMB."
DPA reported earlier that police had arrested more than 280
bakers and shopkeepers for overcharging on bread.
An official at one of the biggest milling companies said small millers were the only ones sustaining retail shops with supplies because they are sourcing grain from the parallel market.
"We last received grain in early June by rail from Mutare and we suspect it was imported from Beira," said the official.
The Zimbabwe government has said the country will harvest 1.8
million tonnes of grain, enough to feed its 12 million people this year.
International food aid agencies have disputed the figures saying Zimbabwe will harvest at most between 800 000 and 1.1 million tonnes.
The Harare authorities two weeks ago began seizing maize from farmers with the GMB chief executive officer, Samuel Muvuti, saying the seizures were necessary to prevent the grain from falling into the hands of "unscrupulous dealers". - Sapa
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