Tanzania to export 700,000 tonnes of maize to drought-stricken Zimbabwe
Tanzania will export 700,00 tonnes of maize to Zimbabwe. This is due to the aftermaths of an El Nino-caused drought withered crops.
According to the Tanzania state-run, TBC television quoted Tanzanian President John Magufuli as saying “We have agreed to sell 700,000 metric tonnes of maize to Zimbabwe, which faces food shortages,” Magufuli added that he hoped the sale would stimulate trade between the two nations.
To further increase maize productivity, Tanzania started its first trial for Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) maize, aimed at demonstrating whether the GMO crop can be effectively grown in the country.
The United Nations estimates that about a third of Zimbabwe’s 15 million populace are in need of food assistance. President Magufuli made an announcement in Zimbabwe’s metropolis Harare on Wednesday after talks with his fellow President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.
Magufuli mentioned that Tanzania had superfluity maize after harvesting 16 million tonnes when demand was only revolving around 13 million tonnes. Zimbabwe appealed in April for $613 million in aid from local and foreign donors to cover food imports. Requesting help with a humanitarian catastrophe after an acute drought and a cyclone battered the east of the country.
An appeal document handed to reporters by the information ministry showed the government is seeking $300 million in aid for food while the rest would fund emergency shelters, logistics, and telecommunication inter alia and needs.
Landlocked Zimbabwe was once the breadbasket of Africa. The country is experiencing a dire economic situation, which is on its knees. Currently, Zimbabwe is under severe drought induced by the recent cyclone. Also, Zimbabwe used to import maize from Zambia. However, Zambia banned maize exports due to low supplies of the crop. In 2016 Zimbabwe imported 100 000 tonnes of maize from Tanzania.
Tanzania consumes 90% of its maize production and exports the rest mainly to Kenya (80%), as well as Somalia, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan, Burundi, and Somalia
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