Government will cancel import duty on basic foodstuffs to cushion consumers against expected El Nino-induced shortages.

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube announced the measure in Bulawayo on Friday.

Ncube said the move forms part of a broader six-to-seven pillar strategy to protect the cost of living.

“Zimbabwe plans to cancel duty on food imports to help cushion prices from the impact of potential crop shortages caused by the El Nino weather pattern,” Ncube told reporters.

The package comes as the country faces a convergence of pressures.

There is a forecasted drought that threatens the 2026/27 summer crop, and rising fuel and grain prices linked to conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Ncube maintained that growth for 2027 is still projected at 5 percent.

This will be anchored on mining, infrastructure investment and private sector participation.

The move reverses recent protectionist measures.

It will most likely be welcomed by millers and retailers who have warned of tightening maize and wheat supplies.

The announcement was made on the sidelines of the 5th Zimbabwe Economic Development Conference (ZedCon).