New Producer Prices For Strategic Grains Announced …Farmers Assured of Timeous Payments

Staff Reporter
A tonne of maize or any traditional grain will now sell at US$335 per, with US$200 paid in foreign currency while the remainder will be paid in local currency at the interbank rate of the day, Government has pronounced.
In a joint press statement on Friday, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka and Finance and Economic Development Deputy Minister Clemence Chiduwa announced producer prices for maize, traditional grains, sunflower, soya bean and wheat.
Said Minister Masuka: “A floor producer price of US$580 per tonne for soya bean paid to farmers by GMB (Grain Marketing Board) as US$348 in foreign currency plus US$232 in ZWL (Zimbabwe dollar) at the interbank rate of every Tuesday.
“The GMB soya bean price to oil expressers will be US$638 per tonne paid as US$348 in foreign currency plus US$290 in ZWL at interbank rate of every Tuesday.”
Sunflower will fetch US$696 per tonne, with US$418 paid in foreign currency, while the remainder with be paid in local currency.
However, the GMB sunflower price to oil expressers will be US$765 per tonne, paid as US$418 in foreign currency plus US$347 in ZWL at interbank rate of every Tuesday.
The floor producer price for wheat is now US$520 per tonne, while the GMB exit price of wheat to millers for current stocks of wheat has been reviewed to US$572 per tonne, paid as US$300 in foreign currency plus US$272 in local currency at interbank rate of every Tuesday.
GMB will be allowed to retain the mark-up after selling strategic commodities to millers to reduce over-reliance on the fiscus for operational expenses.
It will also provide commercial warehouse receipt services to all players.