Zimbabwe 'running out of wheat'

morlock · 09-03-2006, 07:15 AM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4773876.stm

Zimbabwe has only two weeks of wheat supply left, while citizens are faced with soaring bread prices, Zimbabwe's main milling organisation has said.

The cost of bread has risen by 30%, pushing Zimbabwe's inflation rate to more than 600%. Zimbabwe has been in economic decline since President Robert Mugabe began seizing white-owned farms in 2000. The government is reported to have put its security forces on alert in case the discontent leads to protests.

David Govere, deputy chairman of the Millers Association, told AFP news agency the scarcity of wheat has meant a reduction in supplies to bakeries. "Due to depleted stocks, GMB [state-run food distributor Grain Marketing Board] is now giving us 400 tons of wheat a week, down from 600 tons," he is quoted as saying.

Shortages of wheat could force bakers to import flour from South Africa, which could lead to more price rises. A loaf of bread in Zimbabwe currently costs $66,000 Zimbabwean (66 US cents), having risen 30% in just one week. President Mugabe denies that his land reform programme has contributed to the crisis, blaming the effects of drought instead. Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says the situation is becoming unbearable. "It's terrible right now because of shortages," Arthur Mutambara, leader of one of two factions of the MDC. "Fuel is not available, commodities are unaffordable, unemployment 80%, inflation above 600%. "It's a travesty of justice that the country has been so run down by Robert Mugabe's regime."

Zimbabwe's leading millers - National Foods, Blue Ribbon and Victoria Foods - have shut production at most of their mills because of the wheat shortage, according to AFP.

International aid agencies say about 4.3m out of Zimbabwe's 13m people will require food aid until the next harvest in May. The country has suffered increasing food shortages, rising unemployment and runaway inflation since the government began redistributing seized white-owned farms six years ago. Economists say the rate of inflation could reach 1,000% by April.

British Dissident · 21-03-2006, 11:22 AM

Interesting post, but hardly news is it?

Can anyone offer any suggestions why this country that once produced enough food to feed other countries now can't feed itself?

Or is it considered polite to ignore this question?

mkpdavies · 21-03-2006, 04:10 PM

Mugabe is corrupt, evil scum. His racist policies of jealousy have ruined a relative African success story.

Shame we were more concerned with blowing the **** out of Iraq on the basis of lies.

Besoeker · 21-03-2006, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by British Dissident

Interesting post, but hardly news is it?

Can anyone offer any suggestions why this country that once produced enough food to feed other countries now can't feed itself?

Mugabe's chaotic land redistribution campaign begun in 2000 caused an exodus of white farmers, crippled the economy, and ushered in widespread shortages of basic commodities.

morlock · 22-03-2006, 12:19 PM

The plight of White farmers in Zimbabwe seems to have been largely ignored by our government. The only real protests the Foreign Office has made has been over the treatment of Black opposition groups and homosexuals.

If nothing else Zimbabwe illustrates all too clearly what happens when Whites become a disempowered minority.

Jerusalem · 24-03-2006, 02:47 PM

Wouldn't it have been great if Mugabe's paranoid fantasy about Peter Tatchell heading a coup had been true, and Tatch was installed as president?

Zim, I fear, is just a taster of what will happen south of the border soon enough.

IceDragon · 25-03-2006, 10:16 PM

I reckon Mugabe is an ar*e bandit himself. Didn't his one time (boy) friend Canaan Banana (really!) rape his drivers and man-servants?

09-03-2006, 07:15 AM	#1 (permalink)
morlock Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 300	Zimbabwe 'running out of wheat' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4773876.stm Zimbabwe has only two weeks of wheat supply left, while citizens are faced with soaring bread prices, Zimbabwe's main milling organisation has said. The cost of bread has risen by 30%, pushing Zimbabwe's inflation rate to more than 600%. Zimbabwe has been in economic decline since President Robert Mugabe began seizing white-owned farms in 2000. The government is reported to have put its security forces on alert in case the discontent leads to protests. David Govere, deputy chairman of the Millers Association, told AFP news agency the scarcity of wheat has meant a reduction in supplies to bakeries. "Due to depleted stocks, GMB [state-run food distributor Grain Marketing Board] is now giving us 400 tons of wheat a week, down from 600 tons," he is quoted as saying. Shortages of wheat could force bakers to import flour from South Africa, which could lead to more price rises. A loaf of bread in Zimbabwe currently costs $66,000 Zimbabwean (66 US cents), having risen 30% in just one week. President Mugabe denies that his land reform programme has contributed to the crisis, blaming the effects of drought instead. Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says the situation is becoming unbearable. "It's terrible right now because of shortages," Arthur Mutambara, leader of one of two factions of the MDC. "Fuel is not available, commodities are unaffordable, unemployment 80%, inflation above 600%. "It's a travesty of justice that the country has been so run down by Robert Mugabe's regime." Zimbabwe's leading millers - National Foods, Blue Ribbon and Victoria Foods - have shut production at most of their mills because of the wheat shortage, according to AFP. International aid agencies say about 4.3m out of Zimbabwe's 13m people will require food aid until the next harvest in May. The country has suffered increasing food shortages, rising unemployment and runaway inflation since the government began redistributing seized white-owned farms six years ago. Economists say the rate of inflation could reach 1,000% by April.

21-03-2006, 04:10 PM	#3 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,615	Mugabe is corrupt, evil scum. His racist policies of jealousy have ruined a relative African success story. Shame we were more concerned with blowing the **** out of Iraq on the basis of lies. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

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21-03-2006, 11:22 AM	#2 (permalink)
British Dissident Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 33	Interesting post, but hardly news is it? Can anyone offer any suggestions why this country that once produced enough food to feed other countries now can't feed itself? Or is it considered polite to ignore this question?

22-03-2006, 12:19 PM	#5 (permalink)
morlock Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 300	The plight of White farmers in Zimbabwe seems to have been largely ignored by our government. The only real protests the Foreign Office has made has been over the treatment of Black opposition groups and homosexuals. If nothing else Zimbabwe illustrates all too clearly what happens when Whites become a disempowered minority.

24-03-2006, 02:47 PM	#6 (permalink)
Jerusalem Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: London Posts: 56	Wouldn't it have been great if Mugabe's paranoid fantasy about Peter Tatchell heading a coup had been true, and Tatch was installed as president? Zim, I fear, is just a taster of what will happen south of the border soon enough.

25-03-2006, 10:16 PM	#7 (permalink)
IceDragon Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,048	I reckon Mugabe is an ar*e bandit himself. Didn't his one time (boy) friend Canaan Banana (really!) rape his drivers and man-servants?