Dr Chombo

Senior Reporter
Government has released funds to the Grain Marketing Board so that farmers who delivered their grain will be paid starting this week. Addressing Zanu-PF supporters in Magunje on Saturday, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo said he was aware that GMB now had money and was informed by Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa.

He did not divulge the amount of money GMB received from Government.

“I am aware that GMB will by next week (this week) start paying farmers who delivered their maize. Just be patient as you will soon get your money,” he said.

Minister Chombo said he was aware that there were some unruly elements within society that were buying maize from farmers at low prices.

“There are some unruly elements who are moving around offering farmers money to buy maize, don’t sell to them. Some are offering amounts ranging between US$180 to US$200. So be wary of these unruly elements,” he said.

Price per tonne is pegged at $390 including for small grains such as sorghum, millet and rapoko.

By end of May, Government had provided $4,6 million for grain procurement and payments will be done within two months of delivery or earlier through CBZ and Agribank.

Last week, maize deliveries to the Grain Marketing Board had risen 231 percent since the beginning of the 2014 marketing season in April.

Farmers have so far delivered just over 40 000 tonnes of grain to the GMB up from about 12 000 during the same period last year, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Ringson Chitsiko recently said in a statement.

Maize output is expected to reach one million tonnes this year, a 30 percent increase from last year’s production, according to earlier crop assessment by Government.