Zimbabwe's Flour Encyclopedia

From grain to loaf, the full story

Explore the story of Zimbabwean flour: from irrigated wheat fields to industrial mills, fortified flour, and the bakeries that feed a nation.

555,824
tonnes of wheat harvested in 2024
1.8 million
loaves baked daily
119,594 ha
wheat planted 2024
98%
of flour produced by GMAZ members
A daily staple

The staff of life

Bread is a dietary staple consumed by over 10 million Zimbabweans. Monthly wheat consumption for milling exceeds 25,000 tonnes, with the vast majority going to bread production. Zimbabwe's flour industry supports bakeries, biscuit makers, pasta producers, confectioners, and households across the country.

From the industrial plants of Harare and Bulawayo to township bakeries producing loaves before dawn, flour is the invisible thread connecting Zimbabwe's food economy. Explore how flour is used in baking and the types of flour produced for different applications.

Public health

Fortified for the nation

Since June 2017, all industrially milled wheat flour in Zimbabwe must be fortified with vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, folic acid, iron, and zinc. This mandatory programme is one of the most comprehensive in sub-Saharan Africa.

About flour fortification