Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has paid $500 million and US$2 million for grain more than 28 400 tonnes delivered to the board since April 1.
The statistics were shared by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa during Tuesday’s post-Cabinet briefing held in Harare. She said:
Cabinet considered and adopted the fortnightly ‘Update on the Marketing of Summer Grains, Cotton and Tobacco and on the Winter Wheat Production Season’, as presented by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Jongwe Masuka.
In the meantime, importation of mealie-meal will continue in order to ensure that consumers are cushioned from any market distortions which may occur. Government calls upon farmers to desist from side-marketing their grain.
According to the ‘Update on the Marketing of Summer Grains, Cotton and Tobacco and on the Winter Wheat Production Season’ report, the country has 454 277 tonnes of maize and traditional grains in stock.
This includes carry-over stock from last season.
Senator Mutsvangwa said grain intake is expected to peak this month until September.
She urged farmers to desist from side-marketing grain as 392 tonnes had been confiscated by GMB so far.
Meanwhile, wheat stocks stand at 54 268 tonnes, which Government said is sufficient to meet local requirements.
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