adminThe Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development said in its policy and plans report for parastatals for 2013 that the projects included manufacturing peanut butter, producing bottled water and establishing a commercial bakery plant with production capacity of 100 000 loaves per day.
The GMB has since commissioned two milling plants in Harare and Bulawayo as part of the commercialisation drive, with a stockfeed plant being constructed in Norton set for commissioning soon.
Plans are also afoot to open three more milling plants in Masvingo, Gweru and Mutare. As part of the commercialisation and restructuring initiative, the GMB unbundled into two main units – the Strategic Grain Reserve and a Special Purpose Vehicle company with four strategic business units namely commodity trading and logistics, farming and farmer support, agro-processing and polybag manufacturing.
The parastatal produces a variety of foodstuffs including rice, maize meal, salt and flour under the Silo brand. Steps to privatise the GMB were taken in an effort to revive its fortunes as Government moved to liberalise grain marketing.
Prior to that, GMB had legal monopoly over trade in strategic grains such as maize and wheat. However, due to cash constraints the parastatal has on many occasions failed to pay farmers timeously — New Ziana. for grain delivered to its depots resulting in its failure to maintain strategic grain reserves as farmers sell to private buyers. — New Ziana.
Online Reporter