The Sunday News
Ngonidzashe Chiutsi Farming Correspondent
FARMERS in Matabeleland North are up in arms with some middlemen who are buying their maize at $180 per tonne, far less than the gazetted price of $390 per tonne.
The private buyers continue to buy the produce at below the gazetted prices in spite of the existence of Statutory Instrument 122 of 2014, Agriculture Marketing Authority Regulations (Minimum Grain Producer Prices) which compels companies and individuals to buy maize from growers at $390 per tonne.
Only registered buyers are allowed to purchase maize and those companies and individuals buying below the stipulated price will be fined or imprisoned for up to three months, according to law.
Matabeleland North Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU)’s Binga District chairperson, Mr Trevor Nyathi, complained that they were being ripped off by unscrupulous people who were buying their produce at low prices.
“We are having a big problem here in Binga where some middlemen are coming to buy our maize at as low as $180 per tonne. The highest they can offer is not more than $250 per tonne. They are taking advantage of the fact that Grain Marketing Board (GMB) is far from us and we do not have transport to carry our produce to their depot,” said Mr Nyathi.
Mr Nyathi said the buyers were also taking advantage of desperate farmers who were shunning the GMB, which, despite offering the highest price of $390 per tonne, took long to pay.
“GMB is not paying cash for maize delivered and that’s why these middlemen are taking advantage of the situation to rip off the farmers,” said the ZCFU official.
The parastatal still owes farmers $1,7 million from last year’s deliveries.
Mr Nyathi added that some of the buyers were also bringing groceries to exchange with maize.
“On a daily basis we are seeing a huge number of people from Bulawayo bringing groceries to exchange with maize. For one kilogramme of rice which costs a dollar in Bulawayo, they are demanding a bucket of maize and for a 2kg packet of sugar or flour they are also demanding a bucket of maize as well,” said Mr Nyathi.
The official said the prices that the buyers were offering were not competitive and many farmers in the area were likely not to recover their money used to buy inputs such as chemicals and fertilisers.
Matabeleland North Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) chairman, Mr Winstone Babbage, also echoed similar sentiments.
“What is happening in Binga and other areas there is quite sad where a 50kg of maize is being sold for as low as $4,50,” said Mr Babbage.
He said the only solution was for the GMB to further decentralise its depots so that the farmers could have a ready market.
“As farmers we are appealing to GMB to set up as many depots across the country and buy cash for delivered maize and do away with these middlemen,” said Mr Babbage.
Former ZCFU Matabeleland North chairperson, Mrs Irene Maphenduka, said what was happening was daylight robbery and urged the farmers to avoid dealing with middlemen.
“Farmers should get themselves organised and put their produce together and hire transport and sell directly to GMB which is offering a better price,” said Mrs Maphenduka.
This year, the country is expecting to harvest over 1,4 million tonnes of maize.
