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Edgar Vhera
Agriculture Specialist Writer
THE Grain Marketing Board (GMB) is seeking the services of reputable and qualified wheat toll millers and has since invited those fitting the description to register this morning for consideration.
This comes as the country witnessed record wheat yields of 563 961 tonnes from 119 594 hectares last year.
GMB is purchasing all wheat financed under the Presidential Input Programme (PIP) and from self-financed growers with the self-financed farmers free to sell to buyers of choice.
GMB remains the buyer of the last resort and is working with the Zimbabwe Mercantile Exchange (ZMX) to provide commercial warehouse receipt services to all players.
GMB recently published a notice saying it was “inviting reputable and eligible millers for the provision of wheat mealie meal toll milling services. Interested millers must submit company profile containing; the letter of introduction, certificate of incorporation, trade history, value added tax (VAT) certificate, company registration documents, lease agreement and the milling plant must be in the bidder’s name.”
The said millers must meet extraction specifications and achieve an extraction rate of 90 percent.
“Successful bidders shall be engaged to mill wheat and GMB shall be responsible for distributing the product and related costs.
“Allocation of grain shall be shared among the compliant bidders depending with the bidders’ production capacities,” read the notice.
Bidders must state their storage capacity, milling capacity per 24 hours and physical address of milling plant for verification and due diligence.
Premises not previously inspected by GMB need to be assessed to see whether they meet minimum standards before awarding and those inspected milling plants may be re-inspected at GMB discretion.
“The miller shall be responsible for the online quality control and any other tests as requested by GMB,” continued the notice.
The notice advised that GMB would determine the milling rate, which shall be priced in United States dollars and payment would be made in United States dollars or at the prevailing interbank rate as on the date of payment after provision of service.
“Millers not registered with Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) need to register before signing the contract upon award.
“The contracted miller shall pay contract administration fees, which is a percentage of the contract value to PRAZ.
GMB reserves the right to award the contract or part thereof to any bidder after evaluation.
This development will likely see many more products added to the basket of commodities being sold in agro-shops set up at GMB depots throughout the whole country.
Many Zimbabweans have commended the Government for establishing agro-shops at GMB depots across the country where prices are way cheaper than those charged by retailers.
GMB has so far opened 50 agro-shops and 12 hammer mills to cushion communities from exorbitant prices charged elsewhere and is targeting to open an additional 38 shops countrywide by April this year.
This is part of broad efforts by authorities to fight unscrupulous traders bent on profiteering.
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