THE Government has urged farmers to refrain from selling their grain to unscrupulous buyers offering instant cash at unviable prices.
Reports indicate that some private buyers are taking advantage of desperate farmers by purchasing maize at giveaway prices. This is particularly affecting farmers with smaller volumes of grain who are unable to transport their harvests to distant Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots, prompting them to sell to private buyers at a loss.
Responding to questions from legislators in Parliament on Wednesday, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka, stressed the importance of evaluating prices before making any sales.
“GMB has gazetted prices for maize, millet, sorghum, and other small grains at US$376 per tonne, with 70 percent paid in US dollars and 30 percent in local currency. We urge farmers to check prices before selling their crops to ensure they profit from their labour.
“We’ve heard that in Mashonaland West, some buyers are offering US$300 per tonne. We’ve advised people to stop selling to these unscrupulous buyers and to wait for GMB to inform them which depots to use,” he said.
Minister Masuka noted that during the harvest period, GMB increases the number of collection points to make it easier for farmers to deliver their grain.
“There are areas where GMB may not have a depot, but there are locations where people previously collected social welfare food and presidential inputs in each ward. These will now serve as collection points,” he said.
He said that GMB would visit these points to purchase grain.
“If GMB was able to distribute inputs at those points, they can also collect grain from them. What’s needed is a mobile collection centre, meaning GMB doesn’t have to remain in those areas permanently, as there may not be enough daily volume. Instead, people can agree on a date with GMB for collection,” he said.
On the matter of who should sell grain to GMB, Minister Masuka clarified that self-financed farmers are free to sell to any buyer, while those under contract are expected to honour their agreements.
“There are farmers who receive assistance under the Presidential Inputs Scheme (PIS), others through banks such as CBZ and AFC, and some via the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) or private contractors. The final group comprises individuals who purchase seeds using their own funds — these are classified as self-financed.
“Government policy states that whoever financed the farmer should be prioritised. Therefore, self-financed farmers may sell to any buyer, including GMB as a last resort,” he said.
However, he said that farmers are free to sell to GMB if they fail to secure a more lucrative market.
Minister Masuka also said the Government is working closely with the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to ensure timely payments to farmers.
“On Monday, we reached an agreement with Professor Mthuli Ncube, and we’ve managed to clear last year’s payments in US dollars. Only a few payments remain in local currency. We expect to pay farmers timeously this year,” he said.
Professor Mthuli Ncube
The country is expecting 2 293 556 tonnes of maize and 634 tonnes of traditional grains from the 2024/25 summer cropping season.
