The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has finally cleared its arrears owed to farmers for their last winter wheat crop.

This was revealed in a statement issued Tuesday.

Farmers were crying foul over the delays in payments which affected preparations for the current season.

"The Grain Marketing Board wishes to advise all our valued customers that all outstanding payments for wheat farmers have been fully made.

"The GMB this week received US$5.3 million to clear all outstanding wheat payments from the last season bringing the total to 44 million.

"The GMB appreciates the support it received from the treasury in mobilising resources and making farmers payments a top priority," read the statement.

Zimbabwe harvested 375 000 metric tonnes of wheat last year.

As of mid-November, it had received wheat worth around US$37 million.

Farmers expressed regret for having participated in the 2023 winter wheat farming season claiming they now face heavy losses because prices have gone down as low as US$300 per tonne, just above half of the US$520 promised by the government.

A bumper harvest of the cereal in the 2022 farming season saw the government putting a stop to flour and wheat imports, with Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka declaring Zimbabwe had enough to be self-sustaining.

A move in March to reopen borders for imports of the cereal had a heavy knock on millers who scaled down while a number reportedly shut down.