Online Reporter
Farirai Machivenyika-Senior Reporter
THE Grain Marketing Board (GMB) will establish up to 1 800 grain receiving depots across the country to enable farmers to sell their produce following a bumper harvest this year, Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Anxious Masuka has said.
The minister disclosed this in the National Assembly during a question-and-answer session on Wednesday and warned farmers against selling their grain to unscrupulous buyers.
The country is expecting a record 2,2 million tonnes of maize from the 2024-2025 cropping season.
“GMB gazetted prices for maize, millet, sorghum and other small grains at US$376 per tonne, but paying 70 percent in US dollars and 30 percent local currency. So, we urge farmers to check prices before they sell their crops so that they profit from their labour.
“We heard that in Mashonaland West, they have already gone there and are offering US$300 per tonne. We told the people to stop selling to these unscrupulous buyers and wait for GMB to tell them which depots to use. They will have 58 depots and during this harvest period, those depots are increased to 1 800.
“There are other places, however, where GMB may not have a depot, but there are places where people used to collect social welfare food and presidential in puts in each ward. This will be used as the collection point. If GMB was able to come to those points and distribute the inputs, they also can come and buy from those points,” Dr Masuka said.
He added that some areas which did not produce much would be served by mobile units.
“In some areas, what is needed are mobile collection centres, which means GMB does not have to stay in those areas because there is not much to be collected on a daily basis like in other areas.
“So, people choose a date and agree with GMB to come and collect,” he added.
Dr Masuka said to address GMB’s transport challenges, President Mnangagwa had commissioned 20, 40-tonne trucks for that purpose while Arda had been allocated 10 to collect grain from farmers.
