The
Southern
African
country
of Zimbabwe
is
implementing sweeping
reforms
that
will
require
millers,
stockfeed
producers,
and
food
processors
to
rely
more
on
home-grown
crops,
in
an
effort
to
reduce
import
dependence
and
improve
local
agriculture.
The
policy
is
intended
to
be
a
progressive
transition,
with
the
demand
for
local
sourcing
increasing
slowly
until
full
compliance
is
achieved
by
2028.
The
bill,
presented
last
year
by
Zimbabwe’s
Ministry
of
Lands,
Agriculture,
Fisheries,
Water,
and
Rural
Development,
Dr.
Anxious
Masuka,
represents
a
significant
shift
in
how
the
country
provides
its
food
and
processing
sectors.
Within
the
last
decade,
from
2010
to
2024, Zimbabwe’s
importation of
essential
agricultural
products
such
as
oilseeds
soybean
sunflowers,
and
cottonseed,
among
others,
experienced
a
substantial
increase,
with
their
total
value
more
than
doubling.
These
expenditures
rose
from
US$142
million
to
US$346
million,
as
seen
on The
Herald,
a
Zimbabwean
newspaper.
Furthermore,
Zimbabwe’s
aggregate
food
import
expenditure
reached
an
estimated
US$976.1
million
in
2024,
representing
a
significant
55.2
percent
increase
from
the
US$628.9
million
recorded
in
2023.
Zimbabwean
farmers
like
Benard
Chinyemba
(L),
60,
a
qualified
mechanical
engineer
who
was
offered
a
farm
during
Zimbabwe’s
land
reform,
the
programme
is
a
success
This
surge
was
primarily
driven
by
the
procurement
of
grain
and
oilseeds
necessitated
by
an
El
Niño-induced
drought.
To
further
aid
in
bolstering
domestic
production,
the
new
laws
include
a
pricing
protection
policy.
The
law
mandates
that
if
imported
items
enter
the
country
at
a
lower
cost
than
producing
identical
goods
domestically,
the
difference
will
be
directed
to
an
Agriculture
Revolving
Fund.
The
country’s Farmers
Union
welcomed
the
new
regulations
and
touted
them
as
a
progressive
step
towards
enhancing
the
local
agricultural
industry.
“By
safeguarding
local
markets,
the
regulation
helps
retain
value
in
our
agriculture
sector,
supports
livelihoods
in
rural
communities,
and
contributes
to
broader
goals
of
rural
resilience
and
climate-smart
agriculture,”
the
union
said.
“The
ZFU
reiterates
its
commitment
to
working
collaboratively
with
Government,
processors,
input
suppliers
and
extension
services
to
ensure
that
Zimbabwe’s
farmers
are
ready
to
respond
to
the
opportunities
presented
by
this
regulation.”