The government has said price guidelines for contracted farmers are not a form of price control, as the private sector will ultimately determine the prices based on supply and demand dynamics.
During a question and answer session in the National Assembly, Vangelis Peter Haritatos, the Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, clarified the government’s position.
He explained that the prices announced by the government are the rates that will be used by the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) when purchasing produce from the contracted farmers.
The Deputy Minister asserted that the private sector will still have the flexibility to set prices that align with market conditions of supply and demand. He said (via <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200029442/govt-to-set-price-guidelines-for-farmers">NewsDay</a>):
<blockquote>
We are not about setting price controls or anything to that effect. What we do, essentially, we announce a price for whatever is contracted to the government.
So, when we talk of the Presidential Input Programme or National Agricultural Programme, these are related to the government.
For us, we feel it is right to announce pre-planting prices as well as producer prices so that at least our farmers understand before they even go into that crop.
During price guideline implementation will bring [together] all stakeholders, farmers, input suppliers and also contractors.
We are the buyers of grain. We need to announce the prices and the hope is that consumers and the public take that as a guiding price so that our farmers can get similar prices.
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Last month, GMB announced a new payment structure for grains, which will see farmers receive US dollar payments upon delivery of their produce.
As reported by <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/gmb-announces-new-producer-prices">The Sunday Mail</a>, maize and traditional grains will fetch US$390 per tonne, with sunflower seeds earning US$713 per tonne, up from US$696.
The producer price for soya beans has been set at US$620 per tonne, up from US$580.
In the past, GMB paid farmers a mixture of US dollars and local currency for their crops.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

The government has set price guidelines for farmers who have contracts, but this is not controlling the prices. The private sector will still decide the prices based on supply and demand. The government is only announcing the prices that will be used by the Grain Marketing Board when buying crops from contracted farmers. Farmers will still have the flexibility to set their own prices according to market conditions. Recently, GMB announced new payment rates for different grains, with farmers now receiving payments in US dollars upon delivery. In the past, farmers were paid in a mix of US dollars and local currency.

Government Says Price Guidelines For Contracted Farmers Not Price Control

Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development <a href="https://pindula.co.zw/Vangelis_Haritatos">Vangelis Peter Haritatos</a> lost maize valued at US$160 000 to some Harare millers, reported <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200022560/deputy-minister-loses-maize-to-fraudsters">NewsDay</a>.
The millers, Edwin Mwale (41) and Kudakwashe Murehwa (46), allegedly stole 9 735x50kg bags of maize valued US$163 061 belonging to the Muzvezve MP.
Mwale and Murehwa appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi and were remanded in custody to this Friday for a bail hearing.
Haritatos owns a farm in Kadoma and is into maize production. Under a certain arrangement, the maize is transported to Central Bakery and Millers by Netombo Transport Logistics Company for storage in a warehouse under the custody and supervision of the accused duo.
Prosecutors said that between May and July 2023, the duo hatched a plan to steal the maize which had been put under their custody by Haritatos.
The offence came to light when Haritatos carried out a stock-take and discovered that 9 735 bags of maize were missing.
Haritatos has been involved with ZANU PF since 2002 and has been a member of the party’s youth league.
In 2018, his father Peter, incumbent MP for Muzvezve, decided against running for re-election and Vangelis was chosen as the ZANU PF candidate. He won with a landslide.
Vangelis was then appointed as the Deputy Minister for Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
He was re-elected as MP for Muzvezve in the 2023 general election and was reappointed as Deputy Minister for Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement by President Mnangagwa.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Millers "Steal" Nearly 10 000 Bags Of Maize From Haritatos

The Government says the country has enough maize in stock amid fears of a shortage of the staple due to the El Nino-induced drought.
Parts of the southern African region including Zimbabwe are expected to receive normal to below-normal rains during the 2023/24 summer rainfall season which will likely negatively affect food supplies.
Speaking during a tour of the National Foods Holdings Limited facilities in Harare on Tuesday, 09 January, Lands and Agriculture Deputy Minister Vangelis Haritatos said the country has adequate grain in stock. He said (<a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200021882/zim-has-enough-maize-govt">via NewsDay</a>):
<blockquote>
As a nation, we have adequate stocks at the Grain Marketing Board. Monthly we consume about 70 000-75 000 tonnes of maize.
… National Foods purchased a pasta plant from Italy that produces two tonnes of pasta per hour.
It has increased the availability of commodities.
</blockquote>
National Foods chief executive officer, Mike Lashbook said:
<blockquote>
As a group, the volume (of mealie-meal) is about 50 000 tonnes per month, depending on the year; it is between 500 000 and 600 000 per product.
The first and biggest on our portfolio is stock feeds, the second biggest is flour and the third biggest is mealie-meal, although it depends on the season.
</blockquote>
In September 2023, the Government granted private companies the green light to import maize without paying duty to ensure an adequate supply of food in the country.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Zimbabwe Has Enough Maize In Stock - Haritatos

More than half a million cattle worth US$150 million succumbed to theileriosis (January Disease) between 2018 and 2022.
This was said by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Minister, Vangelis Haritatos, at the launch of a theileria vaccine pilot vaccination programme in Rusape’s Makoni district on Tuesday.
<blockquote>
He called on farmers to intensively dip their cattle to avoid the spread of tick-borne diseases. Said Haritatos:
More than 65% of cattle deaths in Zimbabwe are due to tick-borne diseases (TBDs), including theileriosis (January Disease).
More than 500 000 cattle valued at more than US$150 million died due to January Disease from 2018 to 2022.
So this pilot vaccination programme will be spread to all theileriosis-affected provinces targeting at least two of the most affected districts per province and two dip tanks from each of the selected districts.
</blockquote>
The Muzvezve MP said the country has produced 20 460 doses of theileria vaccines to curb the disease. He said:
<blockquote>
This means that Zimbabwe now has the ability to locally produce three vaccines out of four major TBDs, which will save a considerable amount of foreign currency. What remains is to scale up the production levels to a commercial level.
While dipping remains the most cost-effective method of controlling ticks and tick-borne diseases, there are many other ways of supplementing the dipping programme such as the use of tick-borne disease vaccines, tick grease application, the use of TBD vaccines, accaricide resistance monitoring, dip wash strength monitoring, spatial tick distribution, dip tank rehabilitation and construction of new dip-tanks and intensive dipping regime in January Disease hotspots.
</blockquote>
January disease has a fatality rate of up to 90% and is most common between December and March. | <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200004704/january-disease-kills-500k-cattle-govt">NewsDay</a>

January Disease Kills 500 000 Cattle - Govt

The government says the sharp increase in fertiliser prices is a result of global shocks and is not affecting Zimbabwe only.
Addressing journalists on the sidelines of the Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) conference, Agriculture Deputy minister Vangelis Haritatos said there is a need for the country to produce the fertiliser locally. He said:
<blockquote>
The fertiliser issue is an international shock and it has got nothing to do with Zimbabwe.
We did not cause any of it, but our farmers are unfortunately being inconvenienced by the increasing price.
This is something we cannot get away from, unfortunately, because a lot of raw materials, between 55 to 60% of raw materials in any fertiliser that’s sold within our borders and even our neighbouring Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique are all dictated by international prices.
</blockquote>
Haritatos added that the government will consider the high fertiliser price when it announces the new pre-planting grain price. He said:
<blockquote>
Going forward for the summer season, what we can guarantee our farmers is yes we agree that we do not like the price of fertiliser, it’s a worldwide issue, even if you go to Zambia they are selling fertiliser at a higher cost, but as government and Agriculture ministry, we will ensure that we take into consideration all input costs.
What farmers have to understand is that the high cost of fertiliser will be compensated by a higher producer price for our summer grains.
</blockquote>
At the beginning of January this year, a 50kg bag of ammonium nitrate was pegged at around US$37 but is now being sold for at least US$55. | <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/agriculture/article/200002602/fertiliser-price-increase-a-result-of-global-shocks">NewsDay</a>

Fertiliser Price Increase A Result Of Global Shocks - Haritatos

Zimbabwe is spending $800 Million per year on grain imports. the Daily News reports. This was revealed by deputy Agriculture minister Vangelis Haritatos who was speaking in senate when he said the huge import bill was due to low productivity. Haritatos said:
<blockquote>Because of the low productivity and low production, the country has become a perennial net importer of cereal grains amounting to US$800 million annually. This increases pressure on the fiscus to source foreign currency for grain importation, which could be channelled to other productive sectors of the economy, if we produced sufficient amounts for our country. The Pfumvudza concept is an attempt to reverse this insalubrious state of affairs.
The low productivity has been caused by a number of factors, among them poor agronomic practices, poor soils, the impact of climate change and failure to approach agriculture from a business perspective by both farmers and our extension system.</blockquote>
<blockquote>Climate change impacts are characterised by poor rainfall seasons, prolonged mid-season dry spells, very high temperatures during the growing season and the early cessation of the rains. Thus, the adoption of the Pfumvudza concept, which is based on conservation agriculture principles, will help climate-proof agricultural production, and in particular the food production sub-sector</blockquote>
This comes after the government unveiled an agriculture recovery plan it said will help the sector become an 8 billion dollar industry by the year 2025.
More: <a href="https://dailynews.co.zw/zimbabwe-spends-us800m-annually-on-grain-imports/">Daily News </a>

Zimbabwe Spending Close To A Billion A Year To Import Grains – Report

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<div class="addthis_inline_share_toolbox" data-description="Zimbabwe's wheat production declined from 186 243 metric tonnes in 2017 to 160 600 metric tonnes last year, deputy Agriculture minister Vangelis Haritatos has said." data-title="Zim wheat production plummets" data-url="https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2019/03/28/zim-wheat-production-plummets">
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<div class="at-share-btn-elements">Deputy Agriculture minister Vangelis Haritatos has said Zimbabwe’s wheat production declined from 186 243 metric tonnes in 2017 to 160 600 metric tonnes last year.</div>
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<div>Said Haritatos:</div>
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<blockquote>Last season, the country produced 160 660 metric tonnes of wheat.  Payments to farmers are up to date except for the price adjustments to wheat deliveries as the producer price has been increased from $500 per metric tonne, to $621,50 per metric tonne. Our national wheat requirement has increased from between 300 000 metric tonnes in the 1990s to 400 000 metric tonnes currently. In 1989, 325 000 metric tonnes was produced from 56 000 hectares. In 1990, the country produced 300 000 metric tonnes from 50 000 hectares. This was enough to meet the country’s need for soft wheat. However, we still had to import the hard wheat which we do not produce in our country.</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2019/03/28/zim-wheat-production-plummets">Daily News</a>
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