Agriculture Reporter
GOVERNMENT has warned the Grain Marketing Board against ill-treating farmers at its depots nationwide and challenged it to investigate officials accused of abusing their authority.
The warning comes after Government received numerous complains from farmers over the alleged abuse by GMB depot managers.
Government now fears that this will discourage farmers from producing and selling their crops to the grain utility.

Agriculture Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made yesterday said that it was disturbing that farmers were suffering at the hands of GMB officials.
He said such culprits should be flushed out and stern measures taken against them.

The minister urged GMB to stick to its core business of ensuring the strategic grain reserve than punishing and humiliating farmers who were already suffering from the effects of sanctions.
He added that he had received reports from farmers who were made to pay for moisture content testing at some GMB depots. Minister Made said GMB should conduct the tests for free than to charge farmers.

"If they have to charge a fee then it should be known and has to be reasonable. GMB should continue offering moisture content for farmers whether there is electricity at the depots or not," he said.
Some farmers are alleging that they were made to pay for moisture testing when there was no electricity, as the depots would be using generators.

The minister said it was well known that the country was experiencing electricity shortages and farmers should not suffer for that.
Farmers are also alleging that some GMB depots were refusing to take grain from farmers who have not bought bags from the parastatal marked "GMB".

The minister said this was a very serious allegation and GMB should take the packaging materials to farmers rather than refusing to take any other bags when there was a massive shortage of the commodity at GMB depots countrywide.

"There is no instruction from Government through the ministry for farmers to deliver grain only in GMB bags. I want to make it a point that farmers are free to deliver grain in bulk to GMB and small amounts should be in grain bags.

"Some farmers are even washing empty fertiliser bags due to the shortages. Why can't GMB take its bags to the farmers," complained the minister.
Some wheat farmers were also complaining of the long process they were taking to buy the subsidised inputs at GMB.

The farmers are required to bring offer letters and recommendations from Agritex before accessing the commodity.
This season, there has been a low intake of wheat inputs at GMB depots and this has been attributed to the long process being taken by farmers to access the seed and fertilisers.

As at May 26, 2011, 98 percent of wheat seed had been received of which 19 percent had been dispersed to farmers, 93 percent of compound D had been received and 27 percent distributed to farmers and 45 percent of Ammonium Nitrate had been received at the GMB depots and 22 percent was taken up by farmers,"

Minister Made said the wheat window period had passed while some farmers were still in the process of acquiring the inputs.
"Why should farmers be tossed up and down? This is very unfair. The GMB depots have track records on farmers who have been producing and delivering the crop to its depots so there is no need to go back to Agritex officers," he said.

Minister Made said it was important that GMB realised that the inputs were not for free and farmers had the right to buy.
"We should not allow the seed to go to waste when it would have been planted. Inputs at GMB depots have been bought by Government and should be put to use. We cannot have a situation whereby seed is rotting at GMB depots and farmers cannot access the inputs because of the long procedures," he said.

There are instances where the subsidised inputs are found at the parallel market instead of being used for the sole business of wheat production. Minister Made said it was the responsibility of GMB to investigate and bring to book all the perpetrators.

"The GMB board should closely look into this matter and correct the situation with speed. Government can not allow such things to continue," he said.
GMB acting general manger, Mr Zvidzai Makwenda, said they were investigating the allegations and had visited several depots as part of the probe.

"Work has already started and we have already informed our depots not to turn away farmers for not bringing offer letters when buying wheat inputs," he said.
Mr Makwenda said GMB was no longer charging farmers for moisture content testing.

"If a farmer is delivering grain to GMB, the moisture content test is free," he said.
However, an insider at GMB said some farmers were in the habit of bringing their grain for moisture content testing and would end up selling to other buyers.

In this case the parastatal is said to be charging for the service. GMB was established to ensure a strategic grain reserve and ensure food security in Zimbabwe with particular reference to staple food products, such as maize and wheat.

GMB is an institution whose main function, within its main purpose of ensuring the country's food security, is the orderly marketing of agricultural products, mainly grains, oilseeds, edible beans and coffee, within Zimbabwe.

The parastatal buys various crops from farmers and sells them into the domestic agro-processing industry in addition to exporting these products to regional and international markets. When in short supply the GMB imports these products from both regional and international markets.