The Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) imposed new levies on imported grain and oilseeds with effect from 11 May 2026 under Statutory Instrument 87 of 2025. The levies include US$89.25 per metric tonne on imported soft wheat, and the same rate on imported hard wheat beyond the 30% quota threshold, alongside separate levies on maize, soya beans, and soya meal.
The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ), which represents more than 100 milling and stockfeed businesses, and the National Bakers Association of Zimbabwe called for the immediate repeal of the instrument, arguing that the levies were introduced without adequate stakeholder consultation.
GMAZ projected that a 50kg bag of bakers flour would rise from US$36 to about US$41, an increase of 13.89%, and that the price of a loaf of bread could rise to at least US$1.15. The association wrote to the Agriculture Ministry's permanent secretary in late May 2026 demanding that the instrument be repealed.
GMAZ then filed a High Court challenge seeking a declaration that SI 87 of 2025 is invalid. In early June 2026, the High Court dismissed the urgent application. Authorities maintain that the measures are necessary to reduce Zimbabwe's import bill and to strengthen agricultural resilience.
The regulations also introduce local content requirements: processors must source at least 40% of their grain and oilseed requirements locally from April 2026, rising to 100% by April 2028. GMAZ has argued that the local market cannot currently meet national demand and that imports are needed to bridge genuine supply deficits.
The dispute highlights the tension between protecting Zimbabwe's growing wheat sector and keeping flour and bread affordable for consumers. This site will continue to track developments as they unfold. See the trade and imports page for the broader import picture, and the baking and usage page for how flour costs feed through to bread prices.