On August 25, the Government, in agreement with millers, retailers and grain traders, introduced a cap on maize grain prices at ZWK 2 600 (USD 198) per tonne. The measure aims to halt the increasing prices of staple food, maize, which reached record highs in September, mainly due to reduced domestic supplies, following a 16 percent decrease in the 2019 maize harvest, the second consecutive annual production decline (GIEWS Country Brief). Currency weakness exerted further upward pressure on prices. The introduction of the compulsory maximum price for maize grain follows other measures (FPMA Food Policies) that the Government has taken in the past months to tackle the high prices of maize, which have been on the increase since late 2018.