Zimbabwe to import maize to avert starvation

Zimbabwe's Grain Marketing Board (GMB), the country's grain reservoir, is set to import one million metric tons of maize and other small grains from neighbouring South Africa and Zambia this year, the 'Zimbabwe Indpendent' reported on Friday. The importation of grain is necessary to avert famine in parts of the country hard hit by floods and erratic rainfall. "Currently as things stand the GMB's grain stocks have declined to a mere 437,000 tons and that is likely to be further reduced as a result of increased monthly consumption," said an agricultural sector source. The grain shortages, according to the source, are a result of increased monthly demands, which stemmed from the destruction of grain reserves in areas hit by floods. At the beginning of the year GMB chairman Canaan Dube and Lands and Agriculture Minister Joseph Made denied that the country would need to import maize this year.