GMB Owes Wheat Farmers US$14m

LIVINGSTONE MARUFU

The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) owes the private sector US$14m and ZWG174m for wheat delivered during the 2024 winter wheat season, Business Times has learned.

GMB has a long-standing reputation for delayed payments, leaving farmers struggling to finance their field operations due to a lack of working capital.

Food Crop Contractors Association (FCCA) chairperson Graeme Murdoch told Business Times that timely payments are critical for farmers to plan effectively.

“GMB owes us a total of US$14m and ZWG174m. We need them to settle these outstanding obligations to ensure smooth farming operations,” Murdoch said. “We are in discussions with the authorities regarding stop orders and payments.”

Last year, GMB took over a year to clear its winter wheat debt, jeopardizing wheat production.

Despite these financial setbacks, farmers are still targeting the same hectarage as last year.

“We are aiming for 30,000 hectares, but this depends on rainfall between now and the end of March. Much of the private sector’s wheat is grown in the Mashonaland provinces, where dam levels remain critically low. However, ZESA has assured us that they will ring-fence our power supply as they have in previous seasons,” Murdoch said.

Meanwhile, the government has set a preliminary target of planting 120,000 hectares of wheat for the 2025 winter season, matching last year’s hectarage as it seeks another bumper harvest. Authorities have mobilized adequate tillage equipment to support production, and preparations for the winter cropping season are already underway.

The Lands Ministry is engaging key stakeholders—including farmers, financiers, and input suppliers—to ensure a seamless planting season.

This year’s wheat production will be supported through a multi-pronged funding model, drawing on private sector investments, contract farming schemes, and government-backed initiatives. Wheat will be cultivated under both private sector financing and the National Enhanced Agricultural Productivity Scheme, currently backed by banks such as AFC, CBZ, and NMB.

Meetings are already being held with key stakeholders to secure essential inputs.

Zimbabwean wheat farmers expect to harvest 600,000 metric tonnes this year, well above the national requirement of 360,000 tonnes.

For three consecutive years, the country has surpassed its wheat consumption needs. Between 1969 and 1999, Zimbabwe averaged 250,000 tonnes annually, with a peak of 325,000 tonnes in 1990.