Grain deliveries to GMB drop
Thursday, 09 May 2013 00:00
Herald Reporter
Grain deliveries to the Grain Marketing Board dropped for the 2012/13
marketing season owing to the parastatal’s failure to pay farmers on time.
Since the liberalisation of the grain market in 2009, the GMB has been
competing with other private buyers
for maize and wheat. Despite offering the best prices on the market of
US$295 per tonne, GMB has been failing to attract farmers because it takes
too long to pay them for the deliveries.
In a recent statement, GMB corporate communications manager Mrs Muriel
Zemura said the company only received a total of 81 190 tonnes of maize from
farmers during the 2012/13 marketing season.
This is a decrease from the previous season’s intake of 205 657 tonnes of
maize.
The crop assessment report had indicated that nearly a million tonnes of
maize were expected during the 2012/13 season and out of this less than 100
000 tonnes went to the GMB depots.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union second vice president, Mr Berean Mukwende said the
low deliveries to the GMB had a negative impact on the strategic grain
reserve. He said most farmers were selling their maize to stockfeed
manufacturers who were offering a higher price and a better payment method.
“Farmers would rather dispose their grain to buyers offering competitive
prices. GMB should improve the payment system and farmers will be willing to
sell their grain to the parastatal,” he said.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union’s weekly market guide shows that many private buyers
were offering farmers cash while others were offering seven-day transfer.