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By Lloyd Rabaya
The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has so far expropriated above 300 metric tonnes (MT) of grain from farmers who were intending to side-market their grain.
This came out on Tuesday when Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa was addressing the post-cabinet briefing.
In her address, Mutsvangwa urged farmers to abstain from side-marketing their grain as it will be confiscated.
As presented by Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr. Anxious Masuka, Mutsvangwa said, “Government calls upon farmers to desist from side-marketing their grain. So far 392 metric tonnes have been confiscated by the GMB for side marketing in terms of Statutory Instrument 145 of 2019,” she said.
As of July 7, GMB had about 450MT of maize and traditional grain in stock including those from last season.
Around the same time last year, GMB recorded about 492MT of maize while the required Strategic Grain Reserve was five hundred metric tonnes.
From the start of the grain marketing season on 1 April, a total of 28 430MT has been accumulated due to the late onset of rains experienced during the 2021/2022 summer production season.
“In the meantime, the importation of mealie-meal will continue in order to ensure that consumers are cushioned from any market distortions which may occur. The main grain intake season began in June 2022 and is likely to peak this month to September,” she said.
Meanwhile, grain worth ZWL$500 million and US$2 million has been delivered to GMB.