HARARE, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe has harvested 2.68 million tonnes of the staple crop maize as of July 30 this year, up from 2.2 million tonnes in 2025, according to Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Zhemu Soda.
The maize planting area also increased from 1.81 million hectares in 2025 to 1.96 million hectares in 2026, Soda said during a post-Cabinet media briefing in the capital of Harare on Tuesday.
Maize is Zimbabwe's staple crop, and the country requires about 2.2 million tonnes of grain annually.
Citing the latest second round crop, livestock and fisheries assessment report, Soda said Zimbabwe's food security outlook is generally positive.
He also noted that the state grain procurer, the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), currently holds more grain stocks than it did during the same period last year, with the government projecting a grain surplus for strategic reserves in 2026.
Soda added that the GMB has now settled all outstanding farmer payment obligations from the 2024/2025 season, while payments for grain delivered in the 2025/2026 season are ongoing. ■
