The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) on Monday, 27 May, said it had paid US$10 million to wheat farmers, bringing the payments so far to US$38.3 million.
In a statement, GMB CEO Edson Badarai said the parastatal is prioritising the clearance of the outstanding balance of US$5.3 million. He said:
The Grain Marketing Board advises our esteemed farmers and stakeholders of the significant progress made in clearing wheat farmers’ payments. Today, GMB paid USD 10 million to farmers, bringing the payments so far made to USD 38.3 million.
The consistent release of funds from Treasury demonstrates Government’s commitment to its promise to support farmers; towards wheat-based food security.
In the same vein, clearance of the outstanding balance of USD 5.3 million is a top priority. GMB appreciates the dedication and resilience of our farmers, and will continue playing its key role in the agriculture transformation agenda.
This comes as some wheat farmers have failed to prepare and participate in the ongoing winter wheat cropping season due to the government’s failure to pay them for wheat delivered last year.
This will likely impact negatively on the Government’s target of putting 120 000 hectares under winter wheat this season from which 600 000 tonnes are expected.
In a recent interview with Business Weekly, the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president, Shadreck Makombe, said:
Some farmers who should have planted wheat this season have not been able to do so because they have not been paid for deliveries made to the Grain Marketing Board last year.
Most of the farmers who are meant to be doing the winter wheat are not participating and this is likely to affect the area that the Government is targeting under the crop and the projected yield will be negatively affected.
Wheat production is a process that we think with the planting window the targeted 120 000ha was achievable or may even be surpassed, had all the traditional wheat growers participated.
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