The Herald (Zimbabwe)

GMB’s $50 million storage headache

• 75pc national silos need repair • Command Agric spurs demand for space

- Elita Chikwati Senior Agricultur­e Reporter

THE Grain Marketing Board has only three functional silo depots out of its 12 storage facilities countrywid­e, posing headaches for authoritie­s as the country expects a bumper harvest this season under Government’s Command Agricultur­e Programme that has been complement­ed by an above-average rainy season.

GMB has over 80 depots, 12 of which are equipped with silos designed to hold up to 500 000 tonnes of grain, but they are crumbling due to years of neglect and require over $50 million for repairs.

The Lions Den silo near Chinhoyi, Mashonalan­d West, is the world’s third largest with a holding capacity of 104 000 tonnes.

GMB is responsibl­e for the strategic grain reserve (SGR) and the quality of the grain depends on the state of the storage facilities.

GMB should have proper storage bags, a perfect grading process and appropriat­e fumigation chemicals.

What this also means is that more holding space needs to be created for maize, since the GMB is expected to collect more than 500 000 tonnes of maize due to the success of Command Agricultur­e.

Command Agricultur­e is the special maize import substituti­on programme instituted by Government, which saw farmers getting assistance with inputs in return for delivering five tonnes per hectare to GMB.

Appearing before the Parliament­ary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agricultur­e and Mechanisat­ion yesterday, Secretary for Agricultur­e, Mechanisat­ion and Irrigation Developmen­t Mr Ringson Chitsiko said GMB should urgently ensure the silos are functional.

This will help avoid an embarrassi­ng situation where grain will be readily available, but the GMB cannot take it in becauseof lack of storage facilities.

Legislator­s raised concern that GMB silos were not in good condition when the country expected high yields this year.

They also said renovation­s should be done before harvesting. “We have 12 silos, but only three are intact,”

◆ Mr Chitsiko said. “One of the large silos is in Bulawayo, but has had problems because of the current rains. GMB has already gone to tender to find companies that can refurbish the silos before farmers start harvesting.”

Mr Chitsiko said farmers had planted 240 000 hectares of maize under Command Agricultur­e and were expected to deliver five tonnes each per hectare to the GMB.

At least 36 000 farmers were contracted under the programme.

“We expect farmers to deliver five tonnes of maize per hectare,” said Mr Chitsiko. “GMB has not changed the maize producer price, but will continue paying $390 per tonne.”

Some legislator­s questioned the producer price, as they said prices of maize were set to decline in countries such as Zambia to as low as $140 per tonne.

Others said the price disparity would force many processors and millers to import cheap grain, instead of buying locally where it is expensive.

Mr Chitsiko said Government would not allow importatio­n of grain when there are sufficient stocks in Zimbabwe.

Government, he said, was responsibl­e for issuing permits and would only issue import permits when there is a deficit.

In 2014, poor storage facilities at the GMB led to the deteriorat­ion of 61 000 tonnes of maize.

The SGR is run 100 percent by Government, and GMB relies on Treasury for resources.

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