Perence Shiri bans buying and selling of maize in Zimbabwe
The Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Retired Air Marshall Perence Shiri has enacted Statutory Instrument 145 of 2019 (Grain Marketing Control of Sale of Maize Regulations, 2019) which bans the buying and selling of maize among unauthorized persons in Zimbabwe.
The SI says, “No person or statutory body or company or entity shall buy or otherwise acquire any maize from any farmer or producer otherwise than through the Grain Marketing Board.”
The piece of law further prohibits GMB from purchasing maize from individuals or companies who are not contractors.
“No person who is not a producer of maize or who is not a contractor shall sell maize to the Grain Marketing Board. The Grain Marketing Board is hereby empowered to reject any maize delivered by a person other than a producer or a contractor.”
In a move that will not go down well with most citizens, the Instrument bars the transportation of bulk maize from one area to another.
“A producer of maize or farmer is permitted to transport not more than five bags of maize of a capacity not exceeding 50 kilogrammes per bag from one area of the country to the other without any authorised person or police officer having to confiscate the maize.”
Read the full SI below: