We use cookies on this website. By continuing to use this site without changing your cookie settings, you agree that you are happy to accept our privacy policy and for us to access our cookies on your device.
Transcript/ScriptZIMBABWE BREAD RUSSIA UKRAINE (TV)
HEADLINE: Zimbabwe Loaf of Bread Now Costs $2, A 100% Increase Since Russia Invaded Ukraine
TEASER: Bread now beyond the reach of many Zimbabweans including civil servants who earn less than $250 a month.
PUBLISHED AT: 04/25/2022 at 6:11 pm
BYLINE: Columbus Mavhunga
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Harare, Zimbabwe
VIDEOGRAPHER: Blessing Chigwenhembe
VIDEO EDITOR:
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: MPage, DLJ
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Original,
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO _X_
TRT: 2:26
VID APPROVED BY: mia
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES: edits throughout for clarity/ updated with changes from Columbus re: Musarara and ZAS))
((INTRO)) [[Russia's invasion of Ukraine, one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, has led to bread prices soaring in importing countries like Zimbabwe. The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe has warned of possible bread shortages in the country after Ukraine was forced to suspend shipping. Columbus Mavhunga reports from Harare, Zimbabwe.]]
((VIDEO-VOA: Wide shot of Christine preparing food, close up of Christine preparing food, high angle on the pots, wide shot of her tasting food))
((NARRATOR))
Christine Kayumba is one many citizens feeling the pinch of rising prices in Zimbabwe. She can’t afford to buy bread for her four dependents on her salary of less than $250 a month – because a loaf now costs more than $2.
She says she cooks a bland, thin porridge three times a day, and rarely serves rice as it is now expensive, too.
((Christine Kayumba, Zimbabwe Teacher)) ((Eng. 19 secs))
“This price increase of bread has reduced me to nothing, my brother. I don’t feel I am still the mother figure, the bread winner for my family. Because I am failing to provide,
each and every morning they wake up crying for porridge, they wake up crying for bread.”
((VIDEO-VOA: Close up of bread prices, wide shot of bread shelf, wide of a customer buying bread, close up on the bread))
((NARRATOR))
The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe, which imports grain, blames the Russia-Ukraine conflict for the steep climb in prices. The two countries account for 65% of Zimbabwe’s wheat imports.
((Tafadzwa Musarara, Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe Chairman))(Eng. 20 secs)) “And suddenly we woke up without those supply levels, now we are making our efforts to see how we can get from other countries. Australia there is the issue of floods, which affected their agriculture. We are now pushing towards getting wheat from Canada and other countries.”
((VIDEO-VOA: Wide shot of wheat being offloaded, close up of wheat being offloaded, aerial shots of grains))
((NARRATOR))
Musarara says a consignment of Zimbabwe’s wheat has been stuck in the embattled Ukrainian city of Mariupol for weeks now.
Zimbabwe Agricultural Society is a group responsible for promoting agricultural development in the country. It sees some opportunity in the current wheat shortages the country is facing.
((Andrew Matibiri, Zimbabwe Agricultural Society CEO))(Eng. 20 secs))
“This is an opportune time for our farmers to produce more, for the government and the private sector to work together, hand in hand to support ... farmers who want to go into wheat production. And, thank God, we have been late rainfalls, which have been helping land preparations.”
((VIDEO-VOA: Wide shot of wheat being processed, close up shot of wheat being processed, wide shot of wheat being separated, close up of storage tubes))
((NARRATOR))
That would certainly be good news for people like Kayumba who cannot buy bread now because it’s too expensive.
Many of the country’s farm fields are currently full of corn. Matibiri said if the shift to wheat production succeeds, Zimbabwe can export wheat to the region and get some much-needed foreign currency.
((Columbus Mavhunga, for VOA News, Harare, Zimbabwe))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
Columbus Mavhunga
Embargo DateApril 25, 2022 19:49 EDT
Byline((Columbus Mavhunga, for VOA News, Harare, Zimbabwe))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
