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Luthando Mapepa
A LARGE number of bean farmers at one of the biggest irrigation schemes in the country, Chibuwe-Musikavanhu Scheme, are crying foul over low produce prices pegged by buyers.The agriculture calendar is around when you see Chibuwe community taking their produce to the market, hoping for favourable returns, but sadly this year has been a different one as farmers are crying foul over the raw deal they say they are getting from buyers.
Buyers are reportedly paying as low as 90 cents per kg, a price most of the farmers are rejecting. The marketing of beans usually runs from June to July, but most farmers are still holding on to their crop in anticipation of better prices.
According to information from Agritex, Chibuwe-Musikavanhu is the leading producer of quality sugar beans in the country with about 1,1 million tonnes of the crop being sold every season.
Interviewed farmers said if the buying price of their produce does not improve, they will be left with no option but to venture into agro-business.
Other frustrated farmers argued that the only few buyers available this season were conniving to reduce the prices which many producers are rejecting as too low.
Some of them said it was better for them to venture into the lucrative banana-farming where there were more rewards.
Only two buyers are buying from the farmers compared to past years when more than 10 buyers would compete for the crop. Some of the traditional buyers include GMB, Cairns Foods and National Foods.
The two companies — Pick Trading and Pro-foods — are reportedly buying the beans for only $0,90c per kg.
This forces many farmers to withhold their crops waiting for better buyers to purchase their grains.
Mr Edwin Mhlanga, who owns an acre at Chibuwe, said buyers were ripping farmers off by offering relatively low prices.
“This season is not business as usual for farmers here as few buyers registered to buy our produce. We are withholding our beans hoping that other buyers will come on board and offer better prices,” he said.
Another farmer, Mr Edmore Mabika, said he would not let his beans go for peanuts.
“Most farmers are grappling with challenges of high input costs and for them to receive peanuts in return for their sacrifice is not fair. We invested heavily to come up with a quality product, but at the end of the day we are getting nothing,” he said.
An official from Chipinge Agritex offices, who requested anonymity, said a few buyers were operating this year, with most traditional buyers chickening out citing the cash crunch.
“Yes, this year we did not get many buyers compared to previous years. Some of the buyers complained that farmers were cheating them after supporting them with inputs and opt to sell their produce to private buyers offering higher prices,” she said.
Online Reporter