arare this afternoon, agriculture deputy minister, David Chapfika said GMB will soon be issuing empty maize bags to farmers on credit and will recover the money on delivery of grain to the parastatal.
Said Chapfika, “The GMB has been instructed to issue the available grain bags on credit in manageable tranches to bona-fide farmers and these will be recovered on delivery of grain.
“Those farmers who are able to provide their own bags will be refunded for the cost of such bags.I am also pleased to advise that individuals transporting maize for own domestic consumption will be allowed a maximum of three 50kg bags,”.
He pleaded with farmers to deliver their grain “in bulk” to their nearest GMB depots.
He also said government was going to open new GMB grain collection centres countrywide before July 1.
“Deliveries of up to 10 tonnes will be paid for in cash or by cheque on delivery at a price of $4,2 million per tonne. Adequate resources have been mobilised to ensure all maize deliveries are timeously paid for”, he said.
He warned farmers and other traders against side-marketing, saying the statutory instrument classifying maize and wheat as controlled commodities was still in force.
“These commodities can only be marketed through the GMB and any dealing outside of the official channel is illega.
“Farmers are, therefore, required to abide by these requirements of the law by marketing all their surplus grain through the GMB”, he warned.
His warning came amid reports that most grain producers were resorting to side-marketing in a bid to break even as GMB returns were “too low”.
Once known as the bread-basket of Southern Africa Development Community, Zimbabwe is battling severe grain shortage, due to poor agricultural seasons culminating from the government orchestrated land reform programme which drove more than 3 000 experienced white commercial farmers out of the country since 2000- CAJ News.
Post published in: News