Online Reporter
Edgar Vhera-Specialist Writer – Agribusiness
FARMERS have welcomed the incentive producer floor prices announced by the Grain Marketing Board for the 2026/27 summer cropping season as a reflection of realities on the ground.
GMB on Thursday announced producer prices for maize, traditional grains, soya bean and sunflower as farmers gear up for production.
This announcement comes as harvesting of the early planted wheat has started countrywide.
GMB chief executive Dr Edison Badarai said Government had set the incentive producer planning and pre-planning price for the 2026/27 winter and summer season.
“Following extensive consultations with stakeholders, Government has approved the incentive producer floor marketing price for wheat and incentive planning prices for the 2026/27 summer season,” he said.
Dr Badarai said the wheat producer price has been set at US$531,93 per tonne with maize and traditional grains set at US$432 per tonne.
“Soya bean price has been set at US$660,95 per tonne, while sunflower will be bought at US$826,19 per tonne,” he added.
Last year maize and traditional grains were bought at US$364,75 per tonne, with soya bean on US$583,01 and sunflower at US$670,46.
Sunflower price increased 23 percent, with maize and traditional grains price rose 18 percent while soya bean price surged 13 percent.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) secretary general, Mr Paul Zakariya said the announced prices were encouraging particularly in view of the significant increase in production costs.
“Farmers should also adopt production systems that help reduce costs, while exploring bulk purchasing of inputs and aggregation of produce to strengthen their bargaining power and facilitate better-coordinated marketing,” he said.
Commercial Farmers’ Union (CFU) president, Mr Laim Phillip said the pricing was calculated at a cost-plus 15 percent model.
“Prices are reflective of the realities on the ground with our high cost of production. Unfortunately, the open market uses pricing far lower closer to import parity.
He expressed concern on the possible challenge resulting from the policy that millers could import part of their raw materials saying it would be for commercial farmers to compete with imports from neighbouring countries such as South Africa.
“It would be a great result if GMB could purchase and pay for the lion’s share of the crop,” he said.
Zimbabwe National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president Mrs Monica Chinamasa said the prices were good, but the major worry was the El Nino threat.
Government has since assured farmers that GMB will pay farmers with 30 days of delivery as per the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2).
Goromonzi farmer, Mrs Mavis Dzapasi said the announced prices were viable and urged inputs suppliers not to take advantage of the increase to hike seed and fertiliser prices.
“We hope inputs suppliers will not increase the prices of seed, fertiliser and chemicals. Any increase in the price of inputs will affect production costs, we will not be able to break even,” she said.
Zimbabwe’s maize value chain is the most direct path to achieving food and feed security and rural industrialisation.
Under Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy 2: 2026-30 (AFSRTS 2), Zimbabwe seeks to increase maize production from 2,4 million tonnes in 2026 to three million tonnes by 2030.
“The gross value will increase from US$840 million to US$1,050 billion by 2030.
“The driver of maize production growth in Zimbabwe has been the area, which shows an increasing trend, but yields suffer during drought years,” read AFSRTS 2.
Peter Tanyanyiwa