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Harare - Zimbabwe will import maize seed to plug a shortage that threatens to upset plans by President Robert Mugabe's government to increase production of the staple crop and end food shortages, a minister said on Wednesday.
Mugabe, whose drive to seize white-owned farms to resettle blacks has been blamed for triggering the southern African country's deep economic crisis, has targeted 3 million tonnes of the staple maize and a return to food self sufficiency next year.
But critics have warned that seed, fertiliser and fuel shortages - which have ruined previous seasons - could once again affect farm production.
Agriculture Minister Rugare Gumbo told reporters on Wednesday that government was still battling to secure adequate maize seed for the 2007/8 planting season.
"We wanted to have 50 000 metric tonnes of seed maize ... we have right now confirmed with our seed houses 35 000 metric tonnes," Gumbo said.
"We have therefore a shortfall of about 15 000 metric tonnes."
Gumbo added that the country had ordered some seed from Zambia.
"We are importing 4 400 metric tonnes from Zambia. There will be additional imports from countries in the region to make the figure," Gumbo said.
The minister revealed that low prices offered to seed producers - currently Zim$78.5m (about $2 600 at the official exchange rate but $65 on the black market) were a major cause of the shortage.
"We must stress that maize seed farmers want viable prices. We are for massive production of all agricultural commodities ... to that extent, we want to formulate a policy where the price of seed is perhaps twice that of commercial maize," Gumbo said.
United Nations aid agencies Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have said 4 million Zimbabweans - about a third of the population - will require food aid by the first quarter of 2008.
The country is currently importing wheat and maize from South Africa, Zambia and Malawi to ease a serious shortage.
Gumbo said less than a tenth of the country's annual wheat requirements had been delivered to the state grain agency, which has the monopoly to purchase grain from farmers.
Gumbo said: "Over 34 000 metric tonnes of wheat have been delivered to the Grain Marketing Board as of last Friday."
"As you know, we are involved in importation ... we require about 400 000 metric tonnes of wheat."
Upheavals in the commercial farming sector following the often violent farm seizures plunged Zimbabwe into an economic recession - shown in inflation above 7 900%, an 80% jobless rate and shortages of food, fuel and foreign currency.
Mugabe, the country's sole ruler since independence from Britain in 1980, denies his policies have ruined one of the continent's most promising economies and accuses Western nations of sabotaging the economy as punishment for his land reforms.
- Reuters