Link to article: https://dailynews.co.zw/zimbabwe-spends-us800m-annually-on-grain-imports/
According to deputy Agriculture minister Vangelis Haritatos, the country of Zimbabwe spends 800 million US dollars every year in order to import grain and ensure national food security. This high dependency on foreign imports is an effect of various environmental issues such as poor soil, poor farming practices, and climate change. In order to address this low agricultural productivity, Zimbabwe has implemented the Pfumvudza concept, which seeks to maximize the crop yield in each unit of arable land. The Zimbabwean government is hoping that they will be able to reach what is known as import substitution, or substituting foreign imports with domestic products, in order to better stimulate the economy. Because 70% of the Zimbabwean population derives its livelihoods from agriculture, effective collaboration between the government, private players, and farmers will dramatically help Zimbabwean industries by giving them access to cheaper, locally produced raw materials.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Zimbabwe needs a strong and independent economy more than ever. Though major industries such as agriculture and tourism will inevitably take a hit, Zimbabwe’s administration is taking significant strides to ensure maximum agricultural productivity and self-reliance. It is important that Zimbabwe reduces the $800 million that they spend importing grain every year because any money that they can save there can be poured right back into their economy, and therefore increase opportunity for their people.
Though increasing grain production and self-sufficiency in Zimbabwe is a step in the right direction, striving for total import substitution might have lasting negative effects on Zimbabwe as well as other neighboring countries. If Zimbabwe were to no longer have any need for grain imports, countries that it gets its grain from (such as South Africa and other bordering countries) would lose a main source of income. It is also crucial that Zimbabwe is cautious about how it approaches the issue, because high government intervention can lead to misallocation of funds, general inefficiency, and disapproval among the people that it impacts.
Overall, the steps that Zimbabwe is taking to ensure national food security are important and beneficial, as they will have lasting positive impacts on its economy by decreasing dependency on foreign imports, as well as fueling national industries with cheaper and quickly accessible raw materials.