The Government has released US$13 million and ZiG115 million to the Grain Marketing Board towards payment of deliveries by farmers, Parliament heard yesterday.
GMB chief executive, Dr Edson Bhadharai, said this in an interview after appearing before the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee.
He said following the release of the money, the parastatal had managed to clear about US$2,5 million they owed farmers.
"But more importantly, I think within this Committee (PAC), they also wanted to understand the progress that we've made in terms of farmer payments, and I would want to inform the nation that as of last week Friday, we received US$13 million for the farmers and ZiG115 million and we have already completed the payment of the US dollar component and it will go a long way in terms of alleviating the strain that was now on the farmers to prepare for the summer season," Dr Bhadharai said.
"So right now, we have around 15 or so million in terms of US dollars outstanding (for wheat farmers) because the other balance was paid in ZiG, so we believe that this will be a catalyst to productivity on the farms, and we encourage farmers to continue to deliver the wheat to GMB, we are a good partner, and in terms of the input distribution, we have done, I would say, 40 percent since when the launch was done on 16th of October in Buhera".
The country has harvested a record 518 502 tonnes of wheat from 106 238 hectares, as of November 1, while the winter wheat harvesting process continues.
This year, a total of 119 594ha were put under winter wheat compared to 91 000ha in 2023.
Recent statistics from the Agricultural Marketing Authority indicate that ARDA estates, irrigation schemes and joint venture initiatives accounted for 51 percent of all the planted crop.
AFC Holdings came second with an area 16 362ha contributed by 199 farmers, while the Presidential Input Programme came third after cultivating wheat on 10 541ha with the highest number of growers at 7 999.
Other financial institutions, millers, self-financed farmers and contractors accounted for the remaining 32 286ha (27 percent) from 1 597 farmers.
This year, the Government is targeting 550 000 tonnes of wheat, an 18 percent increase from the 465 546 tonnes achieved in 2023.
