Oliver Kazunga, Senior Business Reporter
THE Small-to-Medium Millers Association of Zimbabwe (SMMAZ) has appealed to Government to decentralise the distribution of imported maize across the Grain Marketing Board depots in the country.

At present the imported grain is received by GMB Bulawayo depot and the millers across the country access their allocation at the city depot.

During a business meeting attended by Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube held in Bulawayo last Friday, SMMAZ said due to centralised distribution, the millers were incurring huge transport costs.

“There is the issue of location of grain, which is being allocated to millers, there is a directive that only GMO maize, which is imported should be allocated to millers for milling under the subsidy programme and that maize so happens to be here in Bulawayo.

“Some of our members are in other provinces like Harare, Masvingo and have to transport the maize to their respective areas which is an additional cost not paid for under the subsidy programme,” said SMMAZ chairman Mr Davis Muhambi.

He said that development was distorting the costing of the subsidised roller meal and needs to be addressed.

“We are appealing to Government to assist GMB to move the grain to other provinces so that millers are able to collect it from their respective GMB depots thereby cutting on transport costs,” he said.
Prof Ncube assured the millers that he would take the matter up with the Agriculture Ministry.