By Staff Reporter
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s maize import bill declined by 40.5% to US$18.8 million in May 2026, driven by a strong harvest that significantly reduced the country’s reliance on imported grain, compared to US$31.6 million recorded during the same period last year.
The decline follows one of Zimbabwe’s best agricultural seasons in recent years, with the country harvesting between 2.34 million and 2.82 million metric tonnes of maize during the 2025/26 farming season. The bumper harvest created a strategic grain surplus estimated at between 600,000 and 900,000 metric tonnes, well above the country’s annual human consumption requirements.
The strong harvest was largely supported by a 51% increase in irrigated farming land, favourable government-backed agricultural input programmes and improved rainfall patterns. Mashonaland West, one of the country’s major grain-producing provinces, led maize production during the season. The increase in local output has significantly reduced the country’s expenditure on maize imports while eliminating the need for costly grain purchases from regional markets.
Zimbabwe also exceeded its maize planting target for the season, achieving 105% of the planned area after planting 1,885,833 hectares, surpassing both the target of 1.8 million hectares and last season’s 1,728,897 hectares. The increase in planted area was supported by an early and consistent start to the rainy season. However, a prolonged dry spell experienced in February, coupled with excessive rainfall earlier in the season, affected yields in some farming areas, preventing an even larger harvest.
Zimbabwe requires about 2.2 million metric tonnes of maize annually to meet national demand for both human and livestock consumption, meaning this year’s production comfortably exceeded domestic requirements.
Buy Zimbabwe Chairman Munyaradzi Hwengwere welcomed the development, describing it as a major achievement for the country’s agriculture sector and an important step towards achieving maize self-sufficiency.
“This decrease in grain imports can be attributed to the efforts and investments made by local farmers and the government’s commitment to supporting the local agricultural sector. This is a testament to the resilience and hard work of our farmers, who have adopted modern farming techniques and technologies to increase their productivity,” said Hwengwere.
He said lower grain imports would generate wider economic benefits beyond agriculture.
“This decrease in grain imports will not only benefit the agricultural sector but also has a positive impact on the country’s economy as a whole. It creates employment opportunities, reduces the trade deficit and boosts the local market,” he added.
Economic analyst Dr Levious Chiukira said the decline in maize imports demonstrates the importance of strengthening domestic production and encouraging industries to source raw materials locally.
“For the country to be self-sufficient in food, Zimbabwe needs to uphold the Buy Local culture and make it mandatory for local food manufacturing companies to prioritise locally produced agricultural products. The decrease in grain imports reflects the success of the Buy Zimbabwe initiative. In the agriculture sector, we encourage local agro-processors to procure raw materials from local farmers as this helps save foreign currency and create employment,” said Dr Chiukira.
However, he warned that rising seed imports remain a concern despite the country’s improved maize production.
“The May ZimStat statistics indicate that Zimbabwe is relying less on imported maize grain, which is a positive sign of domestic supply recovery following previous drought conditions. However, the increase in seed imports shows that the country still depends on external markets for key agricultural inputs,” he said.
As part of efforts to strengthen the Buy Local campaign and reduce imports further, Buy Zimbabwe will host the Buy Zimbabwe Anti-Counterfeit Day on 26 August 2026. The event is expected to bring together industry leaders, policymakers and consumers to promote authentic Zimbabwean products while encouraging greater support for locally produced goods.
