Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has said the prices of bread and maize meal have gone up due to higher grain and oil prices currently obtaining on global markets due to the Russia-Ukraine Conflict.
GMAZ chairman Tafadzwa Musarara said the increase has been necessitated by a rise in the prices of maize and wheat by the Grain Marketing Board (GMB).
The cost of maize rose to $50 000 from $43 000 while bread flour increased by 14.74% to $136 544 from $119 000 a tonne.
The retail price of a 10kg packet of roller meal will increase by 15% to $1 099 from $955 to and bakers are likely to increase the price of bread following the increase in the price of flour.
Musarara said the country will need to import 155 000 tonnes of wheat to cover the local production deficit. He said the Ukraine-Russia war had resulted in an increase in prices of wheat as Zimbabwe imports most of its wheat from Russia.
The landing cost of wheat is now at US$675 per tonne up from US$475. Wheat constitutes 30-42% of the bread costs.
GMAZ said Zimbabwe consumes 16 000t of bread flour monthly and approximately 1.2 million loaves a day.
