Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
MORE than 600 000 tonnes of maize valued at about $3 billion have been delivered to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) while cotton worth $4 billion has been delivered to Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco).

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka, revealed this during a recent tour of cotton ginneries at Nembudziya Growth Point in Gokwe North.

Since the start of the marketing season on April 1, nearly 1 400 buying points have been set up countrywide while an additional 400 are being established as the season progresses.

All the 84 GMB depots have begun operating daily, including on weekends to facilitate uninterrupted grain deliveries.

GMB is paying $32 000 for a tonne of maize, $48 000 for a tonne of soya bean and $38 000 for small grains according to a new producer price schedule published recently.

The Government has set aside $60 billion to ensure timely payment for deliveries and the GMB has made undertaking to pay farmers within 72 hours of delivery. Farmers who deliver their grain to mobile collection points will be paid within five days.

“As we’ve been travelling across the country, we have observed that many farmers are still to deliver maize to GMB and cotton to Cottco. As of today (Saturday), more than 600 000 tonnes of maize have been delivered to GMB depots across the country and they are worth $3 billon,” said Dr Masuka.

He said cotton worth $4 billion has also been delivered to various Cottco depots throughout the country and more than $1 billion has already been paid to farmers.

“Your Government is right on point and payments are coming right on time,” said Minister Masuka.

He said of the $1,5 billion released by Government for the payment of farmers for the 2020 cotton deliveries, $700 million is for Gokwe farmers who grow half of the country’s white gold.

“We are here in Gokwe to ascertain whether Cottco is actually paying farmers $34 per kg as the farmer delivers followed by $22 per kg for grade C and D making it $56. When the cotton is grade A or B the farmer gets a total of $85 per kg and there is also a US$10 per bale incentive,” said Dr Masuka.

Commenting on maize production, Dr Masuka said the increase in hectarage this last season is expected to see maize production surpassing the one million tonnes mark compared to last year’s 900 000 tonnes.

Dr Masuka said Government was working on motivating cotton farmers to produce more like what has been witnessed with maize farmers this last season.

“We are interacting with cotton farmers in order to sensitise them on the success we have had with Pfumvudza/ Intwasa, which we want to take to cotton farming,” he said.

Under the Presidential cotton programme, Cabinet approved cotton Pfumvudza/ Intwasa pack comprising 6kg seed, 80kg basal fertiliser, 40kg top dressing, herbicides and chemicals.