Government tackles maize side marketing

Government tackles maize side marketing

Brian Rungano Temba

Government has operationalised Statutory Instrument 145 of 2019 as it seeks to address poor grain delivery to the Grain Marketing Board.
In a letter dated May 24, Permanent Secretary for Lands Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Dr John Basera told the Grain Marketing Board to enhance how they monitor movement of grain.
This was after a suspiciously low rate of deliveries.
“Ministry has noted with Concern the low deliveries of grain to GMB since the start of the marketing season on April 1, 2022. This is evident of side-marketing tendencies by farmers considering that about 30 000 MT has been harvested to date Vis-a-vis deliveries to GMB of about 5 000MT, ” said PS Basera.

“You are therefore required to operationalise the provisions of SI.145.19 to prevent and avert the side-marketing of grain with immediate effect.

This includes but is not limited to conducting grain busting operations at various none GMB depots, as well as the setting up of permit inspections at various points such as road blocks,” PS Basera said.
The operations will be supported by the Joint Operating Command.

The statutory instrument 145 of 2019 is a legal policy which states person or statutory body or company or entity shall
sell or otherwise dispose of any maize except to a contractor or to
the Grain Marketing Board.
Any maize which is required to be sold to the GMB in terms of this section shall be delivered to the GMB at such time, place, and quantities as the Board may direct and under such terms and conditions as the GMB.
Any person, whether or not a party to a scheme contract who deals in or possess maize in contravention of these regulations; that is to say purchases, receives, stores, sells, obtains, possesses, exports, transports or otherwise disposes of such maize, in contravention of these regulations, shall in terms of section 40(20) of the Act be guilty of an offence and liable to a fi ne not exceeding three times the value of such controlled product, calculated on the current selling price of the Grain Marketing Board within Zimbabwe of the highest grade or class of that controlled product or eight hundred dollars, whichever is greater, or in default of payment, to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years.