The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, has directed the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) to put in place measures that ensure farmers deliver all their grain.
In a letter dated 24 May 2022 and addressed to GMB Chief Executive Officer Rockie Mutenha, Ministry of Lands Secretary John Basera said that 30 000 tonnes of grain have been harvested to date but only 5 000 tonnes have been delivered to GMB. The letter reads: Ministry has noted with concern the low deliveries of grain to GMB since the start of the marketing season on 1 April 2022.
This is evident of side-marketing tendencies by farmers considering that about 30 000MT have been harvested to date Vis-à-vis deliveries to GMB of about 5 000MT.
You are therefore required to operationalise the provisions of S. 145/19 in order to prevent and avert the side marketing of grain with immediate effect.
This includes but is not limited to conducting grain busting operations at various non-GMB depots, as well as the setting up of permit inspections at various points such as roadblocks.
You are also encouraged to ride on our partnerships with members of the Joint Operation Command in the execution of this important task.
The letter was also copied to the Joint Operations Command (JOC), the body responsible for the coordination of state security comprising the Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services and Central Intelligence Organisation.
