Harare — Some Grain Marketing Board depots have run out of subsidised fertilisers as farmers step up preparations for the summer cropping season.

A snap survey yesterday established that farmers were failing to access the inputs from several depots. GMB has also been offering farmers inputs in exchange for grain deliveries. However, some farmers have been selling the fertiliser on the informal market at a higher price. The subsidised fertiliser costs US$15 and fetches about US$30 on the open market.

Maize seed is being sold for US$12,50 for a 25kg bag at GMB depots. Mrs Anna Bhayera from Guruve complained: "The arrangement is a noble one if only the fertilisers were accessible to genuine farmers. "It is better if we get these subsidised fertilisers than having no money and inputs at the same time. "Banket farmer Mrs Edith Chagaresango said her visits to the local GMB depot had been in vain.

"It is disturbing that we are advised of a non-existent facility. The ordinary farmer is failing to get the inputs. "It seems the facility is for strategically positioned people and I am afraid some people who have already benefited are not farmers," she said. GMB spokesperson Mrs Muriel Zemura said the inputs were inadequate because they were merely leftovers from the US$10 million Government winter input facility.

"This is not a full programme where the inputs are available countrywide. The fertilisers and maize seed are only available at selected depots that had leftovers from the previous summer and winter seasons. "Other depots do not have any leftovers while other depots have run out of the commodity," she said. Inaccessibility and late availability of inputs have negatively affected agricultural production in the past years.

The situation has been compounded by erratic rains and the 2009/2010 mid-season dry spell wreaked havoc on maize production. Production, however, doubled to slightly over one million tonnes despite the setbacks.

Government is understood to be mobilising fertiliser imports for the coming season while local stocks and anticipated production of seed maize is said to be sufficient to meet demand. Meanwhile, the GMB has said it needs US$23,1 million to pay for maize recently delivered to its depots.

Mrs Zemura said the parastatal had received 146 008 tonnes of maize between April and September 3. "This represents a 130 percent increase in maize delivered over the same period last year. "Deliveries for the week ending September 3 were 15 033 tonnes. "However, funds to pay farmers for deliveries between July 30 to September 3 are now desperately required," she said.

GMB has advised Treasury of its needs and the importance of paying farmers quickly. While offering an attractive floor price of US$275 per tonne, GMB is struggling to pay farmers. This has forced the parastatal to continuously appeal to Treasury for funds. The unavailability of funds has forced farmers to sell their grain at lower prices to private buyers offering instant cash.