Zimbabwe has reintroduced the ban on maize imports in order to support its local farmers, as the country harvested enough maize this year to supply its flour mills after a bumper harvest, a senior agriculture ministry official said on Monday.

The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Obert Jiri, explained that the decision was aimed at protecting local farmers. He said that the government is reviewing maize stocks on a daily basis, but that the priority is to ensure that farmers' products are purchased before the country turns abroad

“We are evaluating the situation on a daily basis. We need to protect local purchases from our local farmers,” Obert Jiri, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, told Reuters