admin
Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) has implored farmers to increase maize production this season to take advantage of the opening up of the market to private players besides the Grain Marketing Board (GMB). This follows the enactment of the Agriculture Marketing Authority Statutory Instrument 140 of 2013 which allows private players to contract farmers for the cultivation and buying of maize during the 2013/2014 marketing season.
The breaking of the GMB monopoly system is expected to bring competition, with buyers increasing prices to beat competitors.
ZFU vice-president Mr Berean Mukwende said they have engaged their membership to ensure that they target a minimum of one hectare for maize production.
“We have engaged ourselves to ensure that at least one hectare is dedicated to maize production,” he said.
This is intended for the country to realise at least two million metric tonnes of maize, up from this year’s very low production of 700 000 metric tonnes.
“We are expecting an increase from this year’s low production of 700 000 metric tonnes to at least two million metric tonnes in the 2014 marketing season,” he said.
Farmers used to produce an annual output of 2, 2 million metric tonnes, but the harvests have been declining of late.
The new Agriculture Marketing and Authority statutory instrument regulates the participation in production, buying or processing of any grain, oilseeds by producers, buyers or processors and promotes efficient marketing and fair trade practices in the grain and oilseeds industry.
Online Reporter