Country has enough grain stocks

Country has enough grain stocks

Nevanji Munyaradzi Chiondegwa

Zimbabwe has sufficient grain to carry it through to the next season with the Grain Marketing Board having a total of 204 084 metric tonnes of maize and 41 464 metric of traditional grains as of 9th July 2023. The available grain will last 5.6 months.
Of the grain stocks available, millers and stock-feed manufacturers are being allocated 27 000 metric, SILO Foods 16 000 metric tonnes per month, and an additional 10 000 metric tonnes will be sold to Rwanda.
This was said by the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa at a Post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare last night.
The country’s current wheat stocks stand at 140 029 metric tonnes, which is sufficient to provide 8 months of cover. The monthly allocation stands at 21 000 metric tonnes.  Considering that the country is wheat self-sufficient, discussions are underway with neighbouring countries on possible wheat exports. 69.8 percent of the country’s wheat is produced by A1 farmers.
Min Mutsvangwa spoke of the hectarage of wheat under the winter wheat program saying;
“The nation is informed that a record 86 466 hectares have been put under wheat compared to 80 882 hectares last year. The area planted is 14.5% above the initial target of 85 000 hectares, and 96% of the revised target of 90 000 hectares. The bulk of the planted wheat or 69.8% is by resettled farmers (A1 and A2), while the communal farmers contributed 6.95%. The bulk of the planted wheat is now at the vegetative stage and is in good condition. Quelea bird control activities are underway, including the aerial spraying of nesting points using drones.  The required pesticides are also readily available.”

She added that a cumulative 49 694 mt comprising 33 008 mt of maize, 9 095 mt of traditional grains, 4 780 mt of soya bean and 2 773 mt of sunflower have been delivered to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) as at 9 July, 2023. Mashonaland West had the highest maize, soya bean and sunflower intake, while Mashonaland Central was highest in traditional grains production. Midlands is increasingly becoming a maize producer of repute, surpassing Mashonaland East in overall production. An additional 300 000 mt of maize will be mobilised to provide cover up to June next year at the current allocation rate of 43 000 mt per month.

A country record of 286 872 954 kilograms valued at US$868 864 119 million was sold during the tobacco selling season, translating to US$868 864 119 million accruing to farmers as income. The average price for the current marketing season is higher than the price recorded in 2022. The Tobacco Transformation Plan is aiming at tobacco becoming a 300 million kilogram crop, with a US$5 billion tobacco industry by 2025.  Preparations for the 2023/24 season are already underway with seed sales equivalent to 91 380 hectares compared to 76 483 hectares the previous season, which is a 16% increase.
On seed cotton intake, a total of 63 181 516 kilograms had been delivered to 4 Contractors by 6 July, 2023 compared to the 15 512 710 kilograms at the same time last year.  The seed cotton intake has surpassed the 2022 deliveries by 407%. The prices are ranging between US$0.34 and US$0.40 per kilogram.