CLOUDINE MATOLA
In light of the possibility of drought in the nation due to El Nino’s negative effects, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Resettlement visited Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots in Mashonaland West this week to assess the condition of their grain reserves, Business Times can report.
The portfolio committee was split into two groups.
The first group visited Aspindale depot, Norton depot and Chegutu depot whilst the other group went to Lions Den depot and Banket depot.
The lack of sufficient rainfall during the 2023–2024 crop season had a negative impact on the nation’s agricultural outputs.
A report on the state of the nation’s stocks is anticipated to be compiled by the portfolio committee.
According to Siphilisiwe Gawa, the supply chain manager at Lions Den, the depot now has 9861 metric tons of white maize in total stock.
She also said for wheat the total stock amounted to 24349.1mt. Apparently wheat is more than white maize.
Gawa added that the total stock for red sorghum is 258mt and lastly soya beans they have 1518.81mt.
She also added that the majority of the grain used to supply the nation is kept in storage at Lions Den, the largest depot in the nation.
It can hold 104000 mt at full capacity.
While at Banket depot, supply chain manager Munyaradzi Munyama said the total stock for white maize they currently have is 3711.416t.
Munyama added that currently they have 47426.462t of wheat and on soya beans they have 1545.616t and red sorghum amounts to 431.990t. They also have sunflower which is 22.272t.
The total stocks at Banket depot amounts to 53000 and the available space is 23000t.
The total holding capacity of Banket depot is 84000t.
