Zimbabwe bans fruit, vegetable imports as Forex crunch deepens

Zimbabwe has banned the imports of fruit and vegetables with immediate effect to preserve scarce foreign exchange, the agriculture minister said on Tuesday.

The country which dumped its currency for the U.S. dollar in 2009 because it was wrecked by hyperinflation is now running short of dollars as well as quasi-currency “bond note” introduced last year to ease cash shortages.

According to national statistics agency, Zimstat, last year alone, Zimbabwe spent more than 80 million dollars on fruit and vegetables produce including tomatoes, onions, carrots, grapes, apples and oranges.

According to the country's agriculture Minister Joseph Made, he was directed by President Robert Mugabe to stop the importation of fruit and vegetables because “they waste much needed foreign currency.”

This means that the importation of fruit and vegetables will be stopped immediately, he said,

We are finalising on the exact list of foreign-produced fruits that are occupying shelves in shops.

Made said the ban would allow local farmers to increase output while saving the country foreign currency.

The southern African nation, relies heavily on cheaper imports from neighbouring South Africa, its biggest trading partner, and has over the years struggled to produce enough to meet domestic demand.

In June, the government also banned maize imports, saying the country produced enough to satisfy domestic demand.

Majority of banks in the country have stopped giving out cash and when they do, it is in the form of bond coins.

Most Zimbabweans prefer to keep the US dollars at home while those who want to travel or pay for imports buy currency on the black market.