Wheat farmers are worried the current payment delays by the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) may dampen the growers' zeal to produce enough wheat to meet the national requirements, which saw a record 380 000 tonnes of the cereal being realised in the 2022 season.
A cross-section of farmers from various support schemes that include the Presidential Input Scheme (PIS), CBZ Agro-Yield, Food Crop Contractors Association (FCCA) and self-financed said GMB's actions were most likely to cause grower apathy next season if the parastatal did not quickly act on the matter.
Small-scale farmers from Matabeleland South province's Arda Antelope Irrigation Scheme recently commended the Government for its various farming support programmes but said the payment delays would demotivate first time growers.
One of the farmers Ms Brenda Mkwananzi said she had been producing wheat for four years and had realised 6,9 tonnes this season, 4, 4 of which she had already sent to the GMB, but had not received the payment yet.
"I was given 25kg of seed, 12 bags of Compound D and 24 bags of Ammonium Nitrate (AN) for my one-hectare plot and put the inputs to good use, as demonstrated by my yields," she said.
Her colleague at Antelope Irrigation Scheme, Gogo Senzeni Sibanda also confirmed the same input package adding that she harvested 6,5 tonnes of the cereal and delivered four tonnes to GMB, but had not been paid yet. A self-financed commercial farmer from Goromonzi district who requested anonymity said farmers welcomed the Government announcement of a viable wheat price partly paid in US dollars and local currency.
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"As farmers we were encouraged when the Government announced a high wheat floor producer price, however, after delivering to GMB in October no payment has been effected to date.
"Having achieved wheat self-sufficiency, the country should be reinforcing and consolidating this position rather than destroying the very foundations on which that success is predicated. The delay in payment unfortunately compromises the sustainability of wheat farming operations resulting in the country resorting to imports," said the distraught farmer.
An A2 farmer from Mubvakacha Farm in Headlands, Dr James Chipunza who has been producing wheat for the past four seasons said he was not going to increase his hectarage from the current 60ha in the next season.
"I had planned to plant 100ha in my fifth season, but I have since shelved the plans following these payment delays. I am struggling to fund operations for this current season as we speak. The wheat producer price, which the Government announced is very lucrative, however, these payment delays are ruining everything for us," said Dr Chipunza.
Another A2 farmer from Chitomborwizi Mr Penikati Magwada who planted 140ha of wheat and scored an average of 4, 9 tonnes per hectare said he was yet to receive his full payment after he got part payment from the GMB.
FCCA chairperson Mr Graeme Murdoch recently indicated that their members who had delivered their wheat to GMB had not yet been paid.
GMB chief executive Mr Rockie Mutenha could not give this news crew a clear response on the matter saying he had addressed the issue during an interview with the ZBC so this news crew must check out the interview, which did not air on the Friday evening news as he had advised.
