Online Reporter
Theseus Mauruki Shambare
THE Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has cleared all outstanding payments to farmers after disbursing a combined US$25,2 million and ZiG292 million, a move expected to boost grain deliveries.
This comes as Government is intensifying efforts to build the Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) ahead of the forecast 2026/27 El Niño-induced summer cropping season.
The Government has also undertaken to pay farmers for new grain deliveries within two to five days, a significant improvement aimed at encouraging producers to market their grain through GMB.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Professor Obert Jiri announced the development during a tour of SGR 200ha+ Club member Mr Phibeon Mutibura’s commercial grain enterprise in Mazowe this week.
The farm operates under a joint venture supported by the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) and AFC Land Bank.
Treasury, Prof Jiri said, had availed sufficient resources to settle both legacy payment arrears and current grain deliveries.
“At the moment all the deliveries, both from legacy debts and current deliveries, are now up to date,” said Prof Jiri.
“As we speak, all farmers that have delivered have been cleared in terms of both the US dollar component and the ZiG component. For those farmers that have delivered in the past week, resources have now been availed. We should see farmers being paid promptly for their deliveries within two to five days.”
