The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
THE Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has announced the reviewed producer prices for 2022/23 summer crops effective 3 August 2022.
Preparations for the 2022/23 summer cropping season are already underway with some farmers having started land preparations while others are procuring inputs.
In a statement, GMB chief executive officer (CEO), Mr Rockie Mutenha said GMB will be paying farmers reviewed producer prices.
“The GMB wishes to advise that Government has reviewed producer prices for 2022/23 summer crops. Maize has been reviewed from ZWL$75 000 plus US$90 per metric tonne (Mt) to ZWL$ 100 000 plus US$ 90, while the same applies for traditional grains which have been reviewed from ZW$L75 000 plus US$90 to ZWL$100 000 plus US$90.
“Soya beans has been reviewed from ZWL$171 495 plus US$90 to ZWL$228 660 plus US$90, while sunflower has been reviewed from ZWL$20 5794 plus US$90 to ZWL$274 392 plus US$90. The new prices are effective 3 August 2022,” said Mr Mutenha.
He said GMB was encouraging farmers to immediately deliver their crops to the nearest depot or collection point.
Further, Mr Mutenha said they were encouraging farmers who had not opened their Nostro accounts to do so to enable them to deposit the foreign currency component.
Meanwhile, the Government is targeting to produce three million tonnes of maize during the 2022/23 summer cropping season.
This comes as the Second Republic has made food security a top priority and is working towards a US$8,2 billion agriculture industry economy by 2023, underpinned by the country’s National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) the driver towards Vision 2030 to make Zimbabwe an upper middle-class economy.
The country requires 2,2 million tonnes of maize for human and livestock consumption and the three million tonnes target will position Zimbabwe as a significant player in grain production in the region.
This year farmers are expected to plant two million hectares of maize. For sorghum, Government has set a target of 380 000 hectares to produce 304 000 tonnes while 250 000ha are set to be put under pearl millet to produce 150 000 tonnes.
Farmers are expected to plant 25 000ha of finger millet to produce 13 750 tonnes of the crop.
In the 2022/23 state of preparedness report, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Anxious Masuka said the 2022/23 summer programme’s strategic objective was to sustainably increase crop production and productivity to meet and surpass the national requirements for both human consumption and industrial use.
