Christopher Makaza.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week met with the Bakers Association of Zimbabwe, (BAZ) Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ), Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) and Ministry of Industry and Commerce to discuss and address the acute shortage of bread in the country.

During the meeting, the President voiced disquiet over bread shortages and urged the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to come up with strategies to increase the importation of wheat.

Government figures indicate that $100m is required annually for wheat imports.

According to a source who attended the meeting, President Mnangagwa warned retailors against further increase of bread from the current gazetted price of $4.10.

Some retailers around the country are currently charging as much as $8 per standard loaf.

The source further said that after the meeting with the President, RBZ availed an unspecified amount of money to pay for 19 000 tonnes of the 50 000 tonnes of wheat which is bonded in Beira Mozambique.

There is an acute bread shortage in major cities as the country`s wheat reserves continue to plummet. People have to wake up as early as 4.am to queue for the bread whose scarcity is linked to shortage of foreign currency in the country.

Meanwhile, a source within a leading bread maker, Lobels revealed to this publication that all the workers who had been suspended due to decrease in production resumed work yesterday. The senior official assured the nation that their bread would be readily available on the market starting today, 3 July, adding that they were expecting a daily delivery of 60 tonnes of flour from National Foods for the next two weeks commencing yesterday.

The source indicated that they will mix the flour with flour from the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) which is cheaper, to reduce cost of production. He said their company would continue to talk to government for assistance in the importation of wheat.