Govt announces new grain producer prices 

Source: Govt announces new grain producer prices –Newsday Zimbabwe

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development minister Anxious Masuka

GOVERNMENT has announced new producer prices for strategic crops such as maize, traditional grains, soyabean, and sunflower.

The announcement was made in Harare yesterday by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development minister Anxious Masuka.

The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) will pay a floor producer price of US$335 per metric tonne for maize and traditional grains.

For soyabeans and sunflower, GMB will pay US$580 and US$696, per tonne, respectively.

The prices will be partly paid in foreign currency and the remainder in Zimbabwe dollars at the prevailing interbank rate.

Government has also set a pre-planting producer price of US$520 per metric tonne of wheat.

Said Masuka: “A floor producer price of US$335 per metric tonne of maize and traditional grains is paid to farmers by GMB as US$200 in foreign currency plus US$135 in local currency.

“US$580 per metric tonne for soya beans paid as US$348 in foreign currency and US$232 in local at the interbank rate.”

Government has also liberalised the marketing of grain with all contractors allowed to buy back contracted crops.

Self-financed farmers will also sell their produce in the market or to GMB.