Govt Announces Grain Producer Prices

The government has announced pre-planting producer prices for the present summer cropping season in United States dollars.

Maize is set at US$335 per metric tonne, almost the same as what an imported tonne would cost once landed in Zimbabwe, according to The Herald.

Other grains:

i). Producer prices for traditional grains were set at US$335 a tonne;

ii). Soya beans at US$597.59 a tonne,

iii). Sunflower at US$687.23 a tonne,

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iv). Cotton: a). grade D at US$0.40/kg, b). grade C at US$0.41/kg, c). grade B at US$0.43kg/kg d).  Grade A US$0.46/kg.

Lands and Agriculture minister Anxious Masuka and Finance minister Mthuli Ncube made the announcement in a joint statement issued Wednesday.

Masuka said GMB and the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe would only purchase strategic commodities (Maize, traditional grains, soya bean and cotton) financed under the Presidential Inputs programme and from self-financed farmers. GMB may also purchase grains from contractors. He said:

All contractors including the Food Crop Contractors Association, CBZ Bank, AFC Bank are obligated to buy back contracted crops at market prices.

Self-financed farmers will sell to the best advantage of the market or to GMB and Cottco. GMB will provide commercial warehouse receipt services to grain contractors. Government will issue a statutory instrument that mandates private players to provide returns on storage grains to be able to track national stocks of maize and other grains.

Cotton farmers have been getting 75% of their payments in United States dollars and the balance in local currency following the declaration of cotton as an export crop by the central bank.

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