Zimbabwe relies heavily on fruit imports

In June, the Zimbabwean government banned maize imports, saying it produced enough to fulfill domestic demand.

Now, it has announced a ban on fruit and vegetable imports.

Last year, Zimbabwe imported about $80m (£60m) worth of produce, such as tomatoes, carrots, grapes, apples and oranges, largely from South Africa.

It relies heavily on imports of fruit and vegetables, from its its biggest trading partner, because Zimbabwean farmers have struggled to grow enough to satisfy demand.

The cost of importing produce has drained the country’s foreign currency reserves, which have been in short supply for a long time.

Zimbabwe has used the US dollar without official permission from the US since its own currency collapsed amid hyperinflation eight years ago, but it has struggled to maintain supplies of dollar bills, which it hoped to deal with by introducing the replacement bond notes.

The government has said the ban on foreign fruit and vegetables will allow local farmers to increase their crop output.

The ban will come into force immediately and the authorities are finalising a list of foreign produced fruit which will be prohibited from sale.