Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has said that the milling industry remains firm, committed and ready to supply the market after reports that National Foods Limited is closing down tomorrow circulated on social media.
GMAZ at a press conference in Harare today said the market remains stable and so is the supply situation with everyone having benefitted from the command wheat.
“We felt duty bound by the circulations that have been happening in the social media which we feel it has got a potential to unease consumers, cause panic buying not only for our products but perhaps for even other products which are not related to milling,” GMAZ Chairman Tafadzwa Musarara said.
“We are full aware of the critical role our industry plays in attaining food security and at all times we act responsibly, we frequently update the market given the economic challenges that we are facing. The market remains stable, the supply situation remains stable, everyone has benefited from the command wheat.”
The GMAZ chairman said wheat and oil are at the first category in the allocation of foreign currency.
The association also revealed that it is working on stabilizing the self-raising flour as the nation moves toward the festive season
“The policy or arrangement that we had in getting local wheat as the association does not bound any one of us to make additional separate or independent purchasing arrangements” Musarara said. “but I just want to say with authority… that everyone in the milling industry has benefitted from the wheat that we have imported as the GMAZ.”
“We are expecting a ship that is arriving next week, we had a ship that docked last month and all milling companies have got wheat from that ship which we bought using bond/RTGS.”
National Foods is closing down due to foreign currency challenges according to a letter that has been circulating on social media.
The letter to customers says;
Unfortunately due to delays in repatriating payments, our foreign wheat suppliers have today instructed National Foods to immediately cease draw down of wheat stocks.” National foods will mill out the wheat in process and we anticipate both our mills in Harare and Bulawayo to close on Wednesday 5 December 2018…National Foods will supply the limited stock it has on hand but we regret to advise that unless the payment situation is rectified, we expect to be out of stock of Baker’s flour later this week.
“The National Foods continues to work with the authorities to resolve this foreign currency payment issue,” the letter goes on to say.
GMAZ chairman said the millers association is simply an entity that promotes business interests but does not micro-manage any one of businesses to close or to continue operating.
“Our position as GMAZ is that we will continue to engage all the millers who are here and who are not here are milling and will continue to mill,” Musarara said.