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But in an interview, Minister Made said the final price, higher than the interim price, was still to be decided and farmers would be paid the balance once the final price is agreed.
The farmers have proposed an increase of US$105 per tonne to US$400 to recoup costs.
“The decision by Cabinet is that the interim producer price is US$310 per metric tonne and farmers should immediately deliver their maize to the Grain Marketing Board,” said Minister Made.
“Since it is an interim price, Cabinet has further directed a full producer price be worked on as a matter of urgency and this should take into account the costs of production and the import parity price.”
Private buyers are offering prices just above US$300 per tonne. The marketing season started on April 1, but deliveries to the GMB have been slow because Government was yet to fix the producer price.
But the Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union second vice president, Mr Berean Mukwende, said they were not happy with the interim price.
“This price is not viable enough for the farmer to go back to the fields come next season,” he said in an interview. “It falls short of what we were expecting, which is about US$400 per tonne.
“Regionally, the average producer prices are pegged at about US$380 and we feel Cabinet should have come up with a price in that region.”
Mr Mukwende said the price would force many farmers to opt for private buyers who, over the years, have been offering higher prices than those gazetted by the State, posing a threat to food security.
“Such a price would force farmers to sell their maize to private buyers who are offering better prices and this brings about food security concerns, especially at a time when Government has recently launched a national food security policy to ensure no Zimbabwean dies of hunger,” he said.
Maize production has generally declined due to droughts in parts of the country. Production has also been affected by low producer price which has driven some farmers to shift to other crops, such as tobacco.
Zimbabwe requires about 1,4 million tonnes of grain for human consumption and 350 000 tonnes for livestock and other uses.
This year, the country is facing maize shortages and will have to import, with agriculture experts calling on the Government to rehabilitate and install irrigation infrastructure as well as provide incentives to boost production of the staple crop.
Online Reporter