GMB plans US$112m silo expansion project

Precious Manomano-Herald Reporter

New silo complexes are planned for Kwekwe, Mvurwi and Timber Mills as the Grain Marketing Board expands its permanent storage capacity beyond the existing infrastructure.

Last month, Zimbabwe and the Belarusian Government signed a deal for a US$112 million facility to construct silos at GMB depots.  

While the GMB can use its expertise to safely store grain in temporary storage, silos are seen as a far more convenient and better option, with storage costs lower once capital costs are covered, and come close to essential as reserves are built up so Zimbabwe can cope with severe climate conditions, including serious droughts and back-to-back droughts.

In addition, besides seeing seasons where the maize harvest is well in excess of annual requirements, as will happen this year with the bumper harvest, Zimbabwean farmers are now producing surpluses of traditional grains and for the first time ever of wheat, increasing the demand for medium-term longer-term storage.

Speaking during the winter wheat Preplanting seminar in Glendale, Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Dr John Basera said the new silo programme targeting areas where there are high cereal production adding that the programme will be rolled out very soon.

GMB would also install dryers at the silo depots. 

“Silo expansion programmes will be implemented very soon at GMB depots. Recently, about a month ago, on the arrival of the President of Belarus we signed a us$112 million facility on silo especially those GMB depots without silos. 

“This programme will be rolled out very soon. This programme has three elements. There is another element of drying so for us to achieve a smooth transition from one season to the next we need dryers. 

“We also want to install dryers at the silo depots. The other component is automation. The facility is supported by the Belarusian Government through their private sector players and supported by the central Government of Zimbabwe. This programme is coming very soon,” he said.

Tobacco Farmers Union Trust president Mr Victor Mariranyika has welcomed the development saying automation in agriculture is crucial as it speeds up processes and manual work used to delay progress at these silo sites.

“The upgrades were long overdue. There is a need for a massive expansion for reserves to cater for enough food for our consumption and exports. We appreciate the effort done by these two Governments to ensure positive measures to scale up efforts in improving the agricultural sector,” he said.

Government’s Presidential Climate Proofed Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme, Presidential Input Support Scheme, Command Agriculture, Presidential Horticulture Programme and farmers initiatives have this year yielded very positive results hence the bumper harvest.

This is a very welcome development given the amount of the much-needed foreign currency the country has been spending on food imports. The farmers are expected to harvest enough to meet the nation’s food requirements.

It is important for the GMB to ensure all its silos are functional before farmers deliver the crop.