The Sunday News
Joseph Katete
THE Grain Marketing Board (GMB) which is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year is being transformed from just a storer of grain to a complete player in the agricultural value chain.
When the GMB was formed in 1931, it had the following main functions; To ensure the orderly marketing of agricultural products.
To buy and sell any grain which is delivered to or acquired by it. To buy and sell grains and oil seeds. To provide storage, handling and processing facilities. To maintain Strategic Grain Reserves for Government in line with Government policies.
Import and export agricultural products as it may consider necessary. To provide fumigation, product quality control services and commercial training in grain handling. To implement Government Input Schemes to stimulate agriculture.
To establish more depots so as to stimulate agricultural products, particularly in the production of small grains.
However, with the coming on board of the New Dispensation in 2017, the role and functions of the GMB started being transformed.
The GMB is one of the success stories of the Second Republic’s restructuring of 41 State-owned entities as it ratchets up reforms to boost economic recovery.
This was through the successful demerger of the parastatal into two entities namely GMB Strategic Grain Reserve and Silo Food Industries.
The latter concentrates on value addition of grain related food products while the former is aimed at assuring food security at household and national levels. GMB’s main role remains to store and manage the Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) which was revised this year from 500 000mt of grain to 1,5 million metric tonnes.
The GMB is now a complete player from Farm to Fork in the agriculture value chain. It is involved in supporting farmers in the primary production through distribution of inputs under Government programmes like the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme as well as the CBZ Agro Yield programme also known as Command Agriculture.
In pursuit of a new trajectory, the GMB is now operating within the new mandate which was given by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
The new mandate is anchored on ensuring food security through managing the whole grain value chain unlike in the past where it was playing more of a grain receiving role. This must be achieved with sound financial practices which will results in value for money investments and reduced dependency on the fiscus.
The new strategic direction of the GMB is dictated by the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS 1), Maize, Wheat and Soya Beans Production Recovery Plan and Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy.
Under this, the GMB will continue managing the National Strategic Grain Reserves thereby ensuring national food security. This is going to be achieved through the provision of advice to the Government on the magnitude of the National Strategic Grain Reserves in view of climate change, liquidity and socio-politico-economic considerations.
Furthermore, GMB will also be transformed from being a beneficiary in the agricultural value chain to become an active participant for the receipt, distribution, accountability, use, and grain intake for Presidential Schemes while leveraging on such schemes to build internal capacity to expand crop intake diversify revenue streams and meet national and export requirements as enshrined in the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy, the Agricultural Recovery Plan and the National Development Strategy.
To ensure this, the GMB will develop a self-sustaining financing mechanism for purchase and sale of grain over and above the SGR levels and thus creating a robust and sustainable financial base for its operations.
Moreover, the GMB will ensure value for money from investments, growing the investments to ensure the national objective of basic products price stabilisation and product availability and affordability.
This is going to be met through ensuring that the raw materials for grain related products are supplied at least cost and at the right quantity and quality. Timeous availing of these to manufacturers will also be key.
On service delivery, the GMB will improve internal capacity, capability and competencies to generate the requisite efficiencies for the delivery of seamless service and ensuring that the above objectives are met through robust strategies. Timeous payment of farmers will remain very key within the operations of the GMB.
Lastly, as we celebrate this milestone on the achievement of turning 90 years, the GMB operations remain inspired by its mandate of ensuring food security. The GMB promises its key stakeholders quality service and continuous interaction through various communication channels.
