GMB clears outstanding 2023 marketing season payments

Fildah Gwati
IN a positive development for farmers, the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has cleared the outstanding payment of US$2, 8 million for maize and traditional grains delivered by farmers for the 2022/23 summer cropping season.This comes after the parastatal paid $68, 6 billion in local currency last December, which completed its local currency obligation to the farmers.

In a statement, GMB yesterday confirmed that it had paid for all summer crops delivered to its depots.

“GMB wishes to advise our esteemed farmers and stakeholders that payments for summer crops (maize and traditional grains) were fully paid. GMB urges farmers whose payments have not reflected in their bank accounts to approach any nearest depot and have their query resolved within seven days.”

For the 2022/23 season, Government set the maize and traditional grains producer prices at US$335 per tonne, with a split payment of US$200 in foreign currency plus US$135 in local currency at the ruling interbank rate.

This announcement brings relief to farmers who heavily rely on the timely payment of their crop proceeds to sustain their operations and livelihoods.
Zimbabwe National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president Mrs Monica Chinamasa commended GMB’s completion of payments for summer crops saying: “The GMB’s efforts to address payment discrepancies serve as positive steps toward supporting farmers.”

She, however, noted with concern that farmers who made deliveries in October last year had not received their payments, resulting in service providers such as Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) and Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) adding interests to farmers’ bills meaning that some farmers may be left with nothing or very little in revenue.

Mrs Chinamasa emphasised that for farmers to continue growing crops, the GMB must be adequately financed to pay farmers upon delivery. The recent payment delays were deemed unacceptable and reflect badly on GMB’s commitment to supporting farmers.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) president Dr Shadreck Makombe chipped in saying wheat farmers had not been fully paid up to now adding that some had not started preparations for winter cropping while the self-financing had since reached the planting stage.