Online Reporter
Theseus Mauruki Shambare
THE Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has cleared all outstanding payments to farmers after disbursing a combined US$25,2 million and ZiG292 million, a move expected to boost grain deliveries.
This comes as the Government is intensifying efforts to build the Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) ahead of the forecast 2026/2027 El Niño-induced summer cropping season.
The Government has also undertaken to pay farmers for new grain deliveries within two to five days, a significant improvement aimed at encouraging producers to market their grain through the GMB.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Professor Obert Jiri announced the development during a tour of SGR 200ha+ Club member Mr Phibeon Mutibura’s commercial grain enterprise in Mazowe last week.
The farm operates under a joint venture supported by the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) and AFC Land Bank.
Treasury, Prof Jiri said, had provided sufficient resources to settle both legacy payment arrears and current grain deliveries.
“At the moment, all the deliveries, both from legacy debts and current deliveries, are now up to date,” said Prof Jiri. “As we speak, all farmers that have delivered have been cleared in terms of both the US dollar component and the ZiG component. For those farmers that have delivered in the past week, resources have now been availed. We should see farmers being paid promptly for their deliveries within two to five days.”
He urged farmers with uncontracted grain to deliver it to the GMB to strengthen the Strategic Grain Reserve rather than sell to unscrupulous middlemen.
“We know there are unscrupulous buyers who go to farmers and offer them paltry prices. We want farmers to know that there is a price at GMB, and that should always be the comparison.”
GMB chief executive officer Mr Edson Badarai said the parastatal had paid US$20 million and ZiG230 million for grain delivered since the marketing season opened on April 1, while settling outstanding obligations amounting to US$5,2 million and ZiG62 million.
This brought total payments to US$25,2 million and ZiG292 million.
“We have cleared everything. We encourage our farmers to continue delivering to GMB with the best price ever of US$364,75 per tonne, and we are paying within five days,” said Mr Badarai.
ARDA chief executive officer Mr Tinotenda Mhiko said the Mazowe farming enterprise demonstrated the success of the authority’s joint venture production model.
He said ARDA had supported the project with working capital, inputs, technical expertise, agronomic support and logistical coordination with the GMB from land preparation through to marketing.
Mr Mhiko said ARDA was preparing to establish 110 000 hectares (ha) under production, including 75 000ha of irrigated maize targeting between 350 000 tonnes and 450 000 tonnes of grain for the Strategic Grain Reserve.
Host farmer Mr Phibeon Mutibura welcomed the improved payment system, saying timely payments would enable farmers to reinvest in production.
“I am happy that all the deliveries I have made to GMB have been paid for and the assistance I was getting from ARDA and AFC was on point to ensure I achieve a bumper harvest,” he said.
