After achieving bread wheat self-sufficiency since 2022, the Government is now targeting to buttress its import substitution by commercialising durum wheat production whose import plunged 17 percent in the first half of 2024.
Statistics from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStats) show that the value of unmilled durum wheat imports dropped 17 percent from US$65 377 188 in the first half of 2023 to US$48 270 623 in the comparable period this year.
Local wheat production has been on an increase since 2022 when 375 000 tonnes of wheat were produced surpassing the country's annual requirement of 360 000 tonnes, the same fate was repeated last year when 467 905 tonnes were produced.
Earlier this year Government announced an incentive planning price of US$440 per tonne for wheat with farmers responding by surpassing the planned hectarage of 120 000 and an output of over 600 000 tonnes is expected.
The country produces soft wheat which needs to be blended with hard wheat (durum) to produce good quality bread floor.
In an effort to further support the import substitution drive, the Government was set to explore commercial production of durum wheat.
Department of Research and Specialist Services (DRSS) chief director, Dr Dumisani Kutywayo said commercialisation of the varieties did not happen due to low demand at that time but the current increase in imports suggests that the situation has changed due to local production of pasta, biscuits among others.
"Crop Breeding Institute (CBI) can revisit the issue to enhance import substitution.
"There have to be takers of the varieties," he said.
An expert who requesting anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak, said durum was a type of wheat used to produce macaroni, pasta and noodles but was currently not being produced commercially in the country. "There were some efforts in the 1980s where three varieties of durum (ZW1, ZW2 and ZW3) were registered by CBI but never produced commercially. The same conditions we are producing our bread wheat are the same for durum but there was no demand in the past, that's why there was no commercial production," he said.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) chairperson, Mr Tafadzwa Musarara concurred saying durum was hard wheat imported and used to grist (blend) with local wheat in order to produce a quality flour that makes good standard bread.
