Zimbabwe: Millers, retailers in stand-off over mealie meal

Published 2023년 6월 4일

Tridge summary

The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) is accusing mainstream retailers of causing a shortage of mealie meal by refusing to pay for the product upfront and insisting on credit terms. GMAZ claims that millers are experiencing cash flow problems due to the Grain Marketing Board's policy of requiring full payment for grain in US dollars and local currency. The volatility of the local currency and the refusal of retailers to use the interbank exchange rate set by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe have compounded the problem. Despite the country having sufficient maize supplies and milling capacity, the issue of exchange rates and late payments by retailers are contributing to the accessibility and pricing issues of mealie meal.
Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Source: Millers, retailers in stand-off over mealie meal – The Standard The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) says mainstream retail shops have low stocks of mealie meal because they want the product on credit terms at a time the exchange rate is volatile. The millers say while they are buying grain cash-upfront from the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), 100% in US dollars and 50%in local currency, the mainstream retailers want the mealie meal on credit terms. GMAZ president Tafadzwa Musarara said the large retailers should pay cash upfront or at least cash-on-delivery to enable the millers to remain in operation. “GMB requires us to pay 100% upfront for grain. In view of this, we are unable to give credit terms to anyone including the mainstream retail shops. “This explains why stocks are low in these mainstream shops,” said Musarara. He explained why mealie-meal was easily accessible in smaller outlets, saying they paid for deliveries upfront. In the past weeks the local ...

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