
Theseus Shambare
THE Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has announced a new payment structure on grains that will see farmers receiving US dollar payments upon delivery of their produce.
The parastatal made the announcement on Friday.
Maize and traditional grains will fetch US$390 per tonne, with sunflower seeds earning US$713 per tonne, up from US$696.
The producer price for soya beans has been set at US$620 per tonne, up from US$580.
Previously, farmers were getting a mixture of US dollars and local currency for their crops.
Farmers expressed their gratitude for the stance taken by the Government and promised to deliver to the national silos countrywide, a move that will give a boost to the national strategic grain reserves.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) president, Dr Shadreck Makombe said the new producer prices were a welcome development to farmers.
“This is going to have a positive impact and that is exactly what we were asking for all these years.
“Government is sensitive to the farmers’ plight. This means we are moving forward as a team. We applaud Government for that and it is up to us as farmers to do what we know best, that is to produce for national food security,” said Dr Makombe.
Zimbabwe National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president, Ms Monica Chinamasa said the announcement was long overdue.
The announcement comes two weeks after GMB cleared a payment of US$3.29 million to farmers who delivered wheat, maize and other grains during the past winter and summer seasons.
GMB chief executive officer, Dr Edson Badarai said the parastatal and Treasury had jointly committed to meeting farmers’ expectations in an effort to achieve national food security.
He said this will encourage farmers to go all out in producing for the country.
“We are encouraging farmers to deliver maize and other grains to GMB and payment will be made within 21 days. Having our silos full will ensure that the whole nation is well-fed and no one will die of hunger as promised by President Mnangagwa,” said Dr Badarai.
He said all will be in place for early distribution of inputs to over 3,5 million small-holder farmers under the Climate-proofed Pfumvudza/Intwasa scheme that seeks to boost output in the sector.
“We will roll out the summer cropping season inputs distribution on time this year. The GMB has introduced a system where inputs are distributed directly from the supplier to the distribution point. This strategy will ensure timeous distribution and reduce transport costs,” he said.
To curb abuse of inputs, the Government is maintaining the new system introduced last season to capture distribution through a foolproof digital platform. They will also make use of distribution committees.
“We work closely with distribution committees comprising of Agricultural Advisory and Rural Development Services (AARDS), the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the District Development Coordinator (DDC) and the traditional leadership to oversee the distribution process and ensure that inputs are given to the rightful beneficiaries and not diverted for personal use,” said Dr Badarai.
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