adminneeded the information when hiring essential implements such as combine harvesters.
“Farmers at this point in time need to know how much they will be getting for a tonne of the cereal so that they work within their budgets.
“The situation is a bit difficult for the farmers because input prices are rising yet the producer price is decided without their input.
“I think farmers should be consulted in the pricing process so that they factor in their production costs,” said Mr Zakariya.
He added that to produce two and a half tonnes, a farmer needed US$764 yet most of the farmers were scoring between one and two tonnes at most.
“This makes it critical for the price of a tonne of the cereal to be above US$800 for the farmers to break even,” he commented.
Zimbabwe National Farmers’ Union president Mrs Monica Chinamasa said Government should announce prices well before planting so that farmers know what to expect come marketing time.
“Pre-planting prices are always good. Farmers can plan their hectarage basing on the price information.
“It is not very encouraging to plant and then wait for a price that may not necessarily be what farmers expect when it finally comes,” Mrs Chinamasa said.
She added that she would be comfortable with a price starting from US$500 onwards for a tonne.
“Farmers must get the correct yields to get the correct prices and not vice versa. At the same time farmers need to be paid timeously to allow them to produce free crops that are not funded through contracts or loans,” said Mrs Chinamasa.
She said the Agricultural Marketing Authority had since sent price proposals to the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development for consideration.
AMA consults with farmers’ organisations and other vital stakeholders before coming up with a price proposal.
This year’s hectarage has been estimated at below 8 000ha countrywide, as most farmers did not grow the crop citing financial and electricity challenges.
Bindura farmer Mr Remigio Matangira, however, believes pricing was secondary, insisting the country must focus on addressing the challenges that led to the drastic shrinkage in the wheat hectarage this season.
“The crucial issue at the moment is why we failed as a country to meet the targeted hectarage we set. The price of the crop is not important here. We must understand why the Finance Ministry has not been forthcoming in supporting the agriculture sector.
“We also need to look for a permanent solution to the problem of electricity shortages and once we address these two then more farmers will grow wheat. I have not grown the crop this time around but have planted 30ha of potatoes instead,” he commented.
Mr Matangira lamented the absence of reliable financing facilities for farmers similar to those availed to former white farmers before the country embarked on the land reform programme.
Last year the price of wheat was unchanged from the previous season with a tonne selling for US$466, a price most farmers dismissed as unviable.
Online Reporter