ZIMBABWE are going to starts commercial
rice production to cut annual rice
importation expenditure of over $100 million and save the much-needed foreign currency.
The country imports over 95% of its rice despite having ample production capacity underpinned by growing domestic demand for the crop.
According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency latest report, the country splashed $13,1 million on rice imports in February 2018 alone.
Last year, more than $98,9 million was spent between January and November.This is a cause for concern given the country’s precarious foreign currency situation, which has left many industries on the brink of collapse.
Statistics show that the Zimbabwe produces around just a tonne of rice annually, while it imports over 250 000 tonnes.Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement deputy minister, Davis Marapira, said the government was conducting a research to find out which type of rice could be grown in the country.
“It’s actually our policy that we should not import things that we can grow locally and the rice is one of the crops, which we have to grow locally so that we save our foreign currency. So our research department is busy researching on the best rice which we can grow locally and which can produce better results,” Marapira said.
“Better results in terms of yields per hectare. Like in other countries rice is doing 10 to 15 tonnes per hectare. So we want to research on rice, which we can grow here in Zimbabwe and be able to achieve at least 10 tonnes per hectare,” he said.
Annual demand for rice in Zimbabwe increased by 300% from 50 000 tonnes in 2007 to 200 000 tonnes in 2016, according to the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe.
Recently, Lands, Agriculture, Rural Resettlement minister, Perrance Shiri said the government, together with Seed Co, were carrying out final feasibility studies of rice growing and were touring various rice-growing countries to acquaint themselves with technology and viable methods of growing the cereal,it will help cut annual rice importation expenditure of over $80 million.