Govt Bans Exporting Of Soya Beans
3 years agoTue, 20 Apr 2021 08:58:41 GMT
The government has announced new regulations that seek to control the sale, transportation and export of soya beans.
The recently gazetted Statutory Instrument 97 of 2021 primarily deals with how soya bean contract farmers are supposed to sell and transport their soya bean produce but also bans the export of soya beans.
According to SI 97 of 2021, only the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) will be allowed to export soya beans.
Some of the key provisions of the new Statutory Instrument are as follows:
- No person or statutory body or company or entity under a contractual obligation to sell to a contractor or to the Grain Marketing Board shall sell or otherwise dispose of any soya beans except to such contractor or to the Grain Marketing Board.
- Any soya beans which is required to be sold to the Grain Marketing Board in terms of this section shall be delivered to the Grain Marketing Board at such time, place, and quantities as the Board may direct and under such terms and conditions as the Grain Marketing Board may provide.
- No person, statutory body, company or entity shall buy or otherwise acquire any soya beans from a contract farmer without a prior contractual obligation to do so.
- No person shall use or dispose of soya beans acquired through the Grain Marketing Board for use as seed otherwise than for such purpose except with the written permission of the Grain Marketing Board.
- A contract farmer is permitted to keep or transport not more than two bags of soya beans of a capacity not exceeding 50 kilograms per bag from one area of the country to the other without any authorisation from the Grain Marketing Board.
- With effect from the date of commencement of these regulations, no person other than the Grain Marketing Board shall export from Zimbabwe soya beans of any quantity or any description until such a date that shall be specified by the Minister by way of notice in the Gazette.
- In order to secure the contracted obligations, a contracted farmer or producer shall deliver contract produce in accordance with the agreed provisions of a scheme contract, or to the Grain Marketing
Board. - Where there is reasonable suspicion that soya beans are being sold in contravention of these regulations— an authorised person; or police officer… may seize the soya beans in question or seize any vehicle, container, or other property used in connection with the storage or transportation of the soya beans in question as an exhibit in the contemplated prosecution of the offence, in accordance with the provisions of these regulations.
