1,1m tonnes of maize delivered to GMB

Source: 1,1m tonnes of maize delivered to GMB | Daily News

HARARE – Farmers have so far delivered 1,1 million tonnes of maize to the State granary since harvesting started in April.

GMB general manager Rockie Mutenha, said the Grain Marketing Board shall be paying farmers one week after delivering their crop.

In the past, the parastatal struggled to pay for maize delivered to its depots.

“We have received 1 111 809 tonnes of maize from farmers since the beginning of the marketing season on April 1 and are expecting to reach to 1 180 000 tonnes,” he said.

“During the same period last year, GMB had received 1 091 349 tonnes of maize. Our maize stock were 1 314 383 tonnes of maize including the Strategic Grain Reserve.”

The GMB boss said there was no need for farmers to sell their maize to unscrupulous business people who offered low prices, as GMB was paying timeously. He said the producer price of $390 per tonne was only meant to benefit genuine farmers.

Government has said this year’s maize forecast could reach one million tonnes, with output falling just above 60 percent of the 1,5 million tonnes recorded last year due to a mid-season drought.