Farmers Unhappy With New Wheat Producer Price

Some Zimbabwean wheat farmers have welcomed the producer price for wheat for the 2018/19 farming season.

The government has set the price at $630 per tonne. Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union (ZFU) director Paul Zakariya said

Any upward adjustment of producer prices at the moment is welcome. What needs to be further interrogated is the extent to which such adjustments may go.

Obviously, the issue of prices in the country has become very topical. It is, however, important to ensure enterprise viability by tracking the costs of production. While this is being assessed, farmers are advised to maximise yields per unit area. Some level of comfort can be derived from that.

However, Federation of Farmers’ Unions chairman Mr Wonder Chabikwa said that the new price does not meet the farmers’ expectations. He said

Judging from farmers’ expectations of $800 per tonne, it appears this price falls short of the desired increased production. Import parity and cost of production from those sources need to be looked at.

Related:

1. Govt Urges Millers, Bakers To Invest In Wheat Outgrower Schemes To Reduce Import Bill

2. TIMB, Contractors Accused Of Defrauding Hurungwe Tobacco Farmers

3. Farmers Advised To Stagger Planting

More: Herald