EC: How much maize, soyabeans and small grains have been delivered by farmers to the GMB? 

RM: The GMB as of 27 June 2021 had received 296 443 tonnes of maize compared to 73 002 that had been delivered at the same time last year. We have so far received 29 205 tonnes of traditional grains compared to 2 274 tonnes last marketing season and soya beans intake is at 10 198 tonnes compared to 1 056 metric tonnes during the same period last year. The total grains delivered as at 27 June are 336 462 metric tonnes compared to 76 414 metric tonnes during the same period last year.

EC : How much grain has come from the communal sector and how much has been delivered under command agriculture?

RM: Traditionally communal farmers contribute at least 60 percent of grain delivered to GMB. Since grain trade is ongoing, we will review the statistics at the end of the marketing season to see the different farming categories that would have delivered to us. 

EC: What is your targeted intake, what other crops are you buying and at what price?

RM: The GMB is expecting to procure 1,8 million tonnes of maize and 200 000 tonnes of traditional grains, thus making a total of 2 million tonnes of grains. We are buying maize at $32 000 per tonne, traditional grains at $38 000 per tonne and soya beans at $48 000 per tonne. 

EC: Covid-19 has brought restrictions. How are you managing to collect grain from farmers given the lockdown restrictions? 

RM: First and foremost, we are encouraging our farmers to get vaccinated. Then as GMB we are also practising and observing WHO guidelines and protocols on the prevention of Covid-19. We are encouraging our farmers to adhere to the Covid-19 prevention guidelines. Farmers must mask up, sanitise and get vaccinated. We are minimising the number of people visiting our depots and vendors are not allowed in and around our premises. Farmers are also not allowed to sleep at our promises. We urge farmers and all people visiting our premises to maintain social distance.

EC: How prepared are you as an organisation to ensure proper handling of grain?

RM: Proper handling of grain is GMB’s core mandate. The GMB’s greatest asset is its human capital that is qualified and has experience in grain handling and management. Every year, before the start of the marketing season, GMB personnel hold an Intake Strategy Workshop where employees discuss their needs and requirements for them to procure and handle different types of grains. Requisite equipment is bought or maintenance done depending on the need to ensure seamless procurement of grain as well as proper handling of it. As we speak our storage facilities are well oiled to receive the bumper harvest as maintenance and repairs were done. In this respect we are totally prepared and we are already receiving grain.

EC: Every year there are reports of cases of side marketing. How prepared are you to curb the malpractice and what measures have you put in place to ensure farmers do not side-market?

RM: We have come up with strategies that will not favour those that are in the business of fleecing farmers of their hard earned cash by buying from them and then they sell to us.

EC: What are the strategies?

RM: We have decentralised our payment system. Our former depot managers who we are now calling supply chain managers have been empowered to pay from the depots, so that reduces the turnaround time. Government announced the producer prices of $32 000 and $38 000 per tonne of maize and traditional grains respectively. These prices are highly competitive.

We have been paying farmers within 72 hours of receipt of grain at GMB depots. We are also going to intensify our educational campaigns to farmers who had been previously duped by unscrupulous buyers. As GMB, we are also constantly reviewing and refining our systems at the depots to reduce the turnaround time. We are opening increased collection/buying points and we also organise transport for our farmers who wish to deliver to us.

EC: GMB has become a buyer of choice because of early payments. Are there incidences where middlemen can deliver grain to the GMB depots? 

RM: As GMB, we have got a moral obligation to satisfy the needs of our very important stakeholder that is the farmers. 

We have been engaging them through different platforms, educating them on the importance of delivering directly to GMB depots and for them not to entertain middlemen. 

We are also safeguarding our bona fide farmers’ interests through our payment gateway where farmers are being encouraged to register for a GMB Farmers Card. 

Through this Farmers Card payment is almost instant. 

During the registration of the farmers’ details, we ask about their personal background information like farming area and this way we will be able to fish out the middlemen who can be a menace to unsuspecting farmers on busy GMB depots.

EC: Post-harvest handling of grain is one of the major challenges affecting farmers. As an organisation what are you doing to help farmers reduce post-harvest losses?

RM: We have got a specialised unit within the GMB called Quality Assurance Department. These are our experts in grain handling and management. This department is also flexible to assist farmers with fumigation services as well as accessing information on how to reduce post-harvest losses through pests or any other means. We are also selling grain protectants that are used for maintaining the quality of grain at all our GMB Depots.

EC: Government has set aside $60 billion for the procurement of grain. Do you think this is enough? If not, have you applied for more funds?

RM: The GMB procures grain on behalf of the Government to ensure national food security. Funding for grain procurement just like in any national security issue is therefore funded by the Government. This year $60 billion has been set aside for grain procurement and we have already started drawing down from it. Every week we report to the Government the tonnage that we would have procured and as well state the funds required for the grains that we would have received. Government has been very supportive by ensuring that GMB is prioritised in funds requested for, hence we have been paying farmers timeously.

EC: Any advice to farmers given the raging Covid–19 pandemic?

RM: Covid-19 is still with us and farmers need to be vigilant. They must continue to adhere to WHO guidelines and protocols to prevent the spread of the pandemic. We are also encouraging our farmers to get vaccinated against Covid-19. 

As GMB, we are also aware that our farmers sometimes prefer to deliver as a village or community on the same day, but we will be limiting numbers of farmers to be attended to at all GMB depots. 

We are encouraging farmers to notify our depots when they would want to deliver their grain so that the depot books them on a particular day to avoid congestion.