Zimbabweans, particularly those living in rural areas, have commended the Government for establishing agro shops at Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots across the country where prices are way cheaper than those charged by retailers.
GMB has so far opened 50 agro shops and 12 hammer mills to cushion communities from exorbitant prices charged elsewhere and is targeting to open an additional 38 shops countrywide by next April.
This is part of broad efforts by authorities to fight unscrupulous traders bent on profiteering.
The Herald recently visited some of the agro shops and observed that even the working class was preferring to buy commodities from these outlets.
At Murombedzi GMB depot in Zvimba District, shoppers were last week shunning grocery stores and flocking to the local agro shop to buy basic commodities at more affordable prices.
Villagers thanked the Government for introducing the shops, saying this would help them to access basic commodities.
Mrs Agfa Muchenje of Mururi Village said: "We welcome this programme and we are sure we are going to benefit a lot. The majority here are not employed hence we welcome this programme.
"Those who are charging exorbitant prices will not short-change us anymore. We will just go and buy from where we can afford."
Ms Tendai Munetsi of Murombedzi also praised the Government for establishing the agro shops saying this would go a long way to alleviate hunger in rural areas.
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"We have relatives who stay in rural areas and are not employed. We appreciate the Government's initiative because people want affordable prices.
"This is a welcome development to protect citizens from unscrupulous people who are after big profits," she said.
Mr Josphat Chirau of Chirau Village said they were being ripped off by supermarket and tuckshops owners who will now be forced to review their prices downwards in the face of agro shops competition.
In a recent interview, GMB chief executive officer Dr Edison Badarai said they were also hoping to establish 20 wholesale outlets. The agro shops mainly sell grocery items, fertilisers, seeds and chemicals. Some of the commodities sold include mealie meal, sugar, rice, salt, flour, soap and cooking oil.
There are also Silo Foods complementary products which include coffee, bran, dried kapenta, flour, maize meal, salt, samp and mealie meal from traditional grains.
Dr Badarai said GMB will also introduce hardware shops next year under the same programme.
"The issue is that basic commodities should be readily available at affordable prices. GMB is dotted across the country so we looked at how we could assist the rural populace and the Government decided to bring cheaper prices to the rural population.
"We will also have 29 hammer mills to support the production of mealie meal. The main aim is to ensure price stability and to promote rural industrialisation as we move towards Vision 2030," he said.
Dr Badarai said the Magunje Depot agro shop had a model of a wholesale with modernised storage sheds.
