GOVERNMENT has announced new producer prices for the 2020 winter wheat pre-planting and that of soya beans.
At a post-cabinet media briefing in Harare Tuesday, Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa also encouraged the growing of sesame and sunflower meant for stockfeed.
“Cabinet considered the 2020 Winter Wheat Pre-planting Price and the 2019/2020 Soya Bean Producer Floor Prices as presented by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement on behalf of the Chair of the Cabinet Committee on Food Security and Nutrition,” Mutsvangwa said.
“The pre-planting winter wheat producer floor price be pegged at ZW$11 786.44 per metric tonne at a margin of 20%, assuming a yield of 4 metric per hectare.
“The premium price for Grade A wheat be set at ZW$14 143.73 which is 20% above the wheat producer floor price.
“The soya bean floor price be set at ZW$12 833 per metric tonne at a 20% margin, assuming a yield of 2 metric tonnes per hectare.”
Mutsvangwa added, “Going forward, the cost build-up plus margin model should be used in the determination of producer prices, and that the growing of sesame and sunflower be promoted to increase feedstock for cooking oil production and as an import substitution strategy.”
Last year, the producer price was pegged at $8 612, 08 per tonne.
Wheat farmers around the country receive inputs that include seed, fertiliser and herbicides, among others.
Information from the lands ministry says the country requires 460 000 tonnes of wheat every year to avoid bread shortages.
