What AYCAS expects from every supplier we contract — growers, aggregators, mines, processors. These standards are absolute. Commercial terms are negotiable.
AYCAS Commodities trades agricultural and mineral commodities into and out of Zimbabwe. Our buyers — mills, processors, refiners and industrial end-users — contract on the expectation that every consignment is specification-accurate, lawfully produced and traceable to its origin. We pass those expectations through to the suppliers we buy from.
This document sets out the quality, documentation, legal, environmental, labour and ethical requirements that apply to every supplier AYCAS contracts with. It is the floor, not the ceiling. Suppliers whose own standards exceed these requirements are encouraged to say so during onboarding.
These requirements apply to:
Commercial growers, aggregators, processors and traders supplying grains, pulses, oilseeds, dairy powders, specialty agricultural products and food ingredients to AYCAS under any contract or spot purchase.
Licensed mines, concentrators and processors supplying tungsten, chrome and other minerals to AYCAS for export. All mineral suppliers must hold a valid Zimbabwean mining title and the export arrangement must be registered with the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe.
These requirements form part of every AYCAS purchase contract — whether spot, programme or call-off — and are read alongside the contracted specification, Incoterms and payment schedule. Where the contract is silent, this document governs.
AYCAS operates under the Zimbabwean regulatory framework, including MMCZ for minerals and AMA, GMB and the Ministry of Industry for agricultural commodities. Suppliers operating in other jurisdictions must comply with their own equivalent regulators in addition to AYCAS's requirements.
Supply must meet the contracted specification in full — grade, moisture, protein, tolerance and impurity bounds. Specifications are confirmed at loading by an independent inspector nominated by AYCAS (SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek or Alex Stewart). Retained samples are held at origin for sixty days from loading and must be made available to AYCAS on request within that window.
A Certificate of Analysis must be issued and signed before loading. A phytosanitary certificate must be issued at origin where applicable to the commodity and route. A weighbridge ticket must be raised at loading; tonnage is re-verified at destination and any material variance investigated before settlement.
For food-grade products, aflatoxin, pesticide residue and microbial limits apply per contract and are referenced to EU regulations and Codex Alimentarius standards. Suppliers must hold or procure the testing evidence to demonstrate compliance before release.
Cargo segregation and documentary separation must be maintained between GMO and Non-GMO lines, and between food-grade and feed-grade lines. Shared handling, storage or transport that compromises segregation is a non-conformance, regardless of whether the specification is met in the loaded sample.
Consignments outside contracted specification are rejected, docked or settled per the contract. There is no silent discounting. Where a deduction applies it is documented, communicated in writing and signed off by both sides before payment is released.
Suppliers must hold valid licences, permits and registrations for the commodity and jurisdiction in which they operate. For Zimbabwean minerals, this includes MMCZ registration and a current mining title. For Zimbabwean agricultural commodities, this includes registration with the Agricultural Marketing Authority, the Grain Marketing Board or the Ministry of Industry and Commerce as applicable to the product and flow.
Suppliers must comply with applicable environmental and land-use obligations for their operation, including any conditions attached to their licence, permit or concession. Environmental non-compliance disclosed or discovered during the relationship will be treated as a material issue.
Suppliers must not use forced, bonded or child labour in any part of their operation or supply chain. Suppliers must comply with applicable labour law on wages, hours, safety and freedom of association.
Suppliers must respect the communities adjacent to their operation — growers, miners, processors and the residents around them. Where community engagement obligations are imposed by a licence, concession or permit, suppliers must demonstrate those obligations are being met.
No facilitation payments, gifts, hospitality or other advantages may be offered or accepted in exchange for AYCAS business, or in the course of performing a contract with AYCAS. Suppliers must maintain their own anti-bribery controls commensurate with the scale of their operation.
Suppliers must maintain records of production, handling, transport and documentation for a minimum of five years from the date of each transaction. AYCAS reserves the right to audit a supplier against these requirements with reasonable notice, either directly or through a nominated third party.
These requirements are reviewed annually and updated where regulatory conditions, operational practice or market expectations warrant. The current version is published on aycascommodities.com and supersedes any earlier version in circulation.