HARARE, ZIMBABWE — The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has acquired 100,000 of maize from South Africa and Brazil, according to an article on NewZimbabwe.com.

The announcement comes after the government of Zimbabwe made the decision in December 2019 to allow millers and other groups to use free funds to import maize.

“Since then, up to now, I am glad we have put mechanisms to have maize into the country,” Tafadzwa Musarara, chair of GMAZ, said on Jan. 21. “The country’s current demand for commercial (maize) use is 80,000 tonnes, and we have signed up close to 100,000 tonnes with the immediate 50,000 starting to come early next week.”

According to NewZimbabwe.com, the GMAZ has arranged logistics to accommodate the arrival of the grain into Zimbabwe.

“We have of course our own limitations in terms of logistics, but we are making contingent plans … as the grain millers association, we have aggregated our requirements,” Musarara said. “The subsidy started on a rocky note, but I am glad to advise that everything has been resolved.”

Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that Zimbabwe planned to import maize to circumvent crop loss in the previous year and expected continued drought for 2020. Zimbabwe is currently in the midst of back-to-back droughts, which is causing issues in producing maize.