The government has approved new producer prices for winter wheat, along with planning prices for the 2026/27 summer cropping season.
Grain Marketing Board (GMB) Chief Executive Officer Edson Badarai announced the prices on Thursday, 10 September, saying they had been approved following extensive consultations with stakeholders.
The producer price for winter wheat has been set at US$531.93 per metric tonne.
For the coming summer season, maize and traditional grains have been pegged at US$432.00 per metric tonne, soya beans at US$660.95 per metric tonne, and sunflower — the highest-priced of the summer crops — at an incentive planning price of US$826.19 per metric tonne.
The new prices represent a significant increase on last year’s figures, when maize and traditional grains were bought at US$364.75 per tonne, soya beans at US$583.01, and sunflower at US$670.46.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) secretary general Paul Zakariya described the announced prices as encouraging, particularly given the sharp rise in production costs.
He urged farmers to adopt cost-saving production systems and explore bulk purchasing of inputs and aggregation of produce, in order to strengthen their bargaining power and support better-coordinated marketing.
Commercial Farmers’ Union (CFU) president Liam Phillip welcomed the fact that the pricing had been calculated using a cost-plus-15% model.
“Prices are reflective of the realities on the ground. Unfortunately, the open market uses pricing far closer to import parity,” he said.
However, Phillip raised concern over the policy allowing millers to import 60% of their raw materials, warning that it would be difficult for commercial farmers to compete with imports from neighbouring countries such as South Africa.
“It would be a great result if GMB could purchase and pay for the lion’s share of the crop,” he said.
Zimbabwe National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) president Monica Chinamasa said the prices were good, but that the principal concern remained the threat posed by El Niño.
More: The Herald
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