The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) says it has paid farmers more than US$4 million to clear United States dollar debts for 2025 wheat deliveries and has pledged to make prompt payments in future.
GMB chief executive Edson Badarai said the board had settled all outstanding foreign currency debts to farmers for last year’s wheat intake.
“The GMB is delighted to announce that it has received US$4.31 million to clear wheat deliveries United States dollar obligations, and US$0.944 million clearing current deliveries of summer cereals that were delivered from this April 2026; totalling US$5.254 million,” said Badarai.
“This vital funding by the Treasury brings much-needed relief to farmers. The support underscores the Government’s steadfast commitment to agriculture.”
He urged farmers who received inputs under the Presidential Input Programme and those contracted by the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA), or under ARDA-managed irrigation schemes, to deliver grain to GMB depots and ward-based buying points to help ensure national grain self-sufficiency.
“Going forward, GMB anticipates paying farmers within 30 days of delivery,” Badarai said.
Food Crop Contractors Association (FCCA) chairperson Graeme Murdoch said that while it was good news that all outstanding wheat payments had been made, farmers could not confidently plant wheat if they had to wait eight months to be paid.
The Government has set a pre-planting incentive for 2026 winter wheat producers of US$524.56 per tonne. The target is 125,000 hectares, with a projected output of 662,500 tonnes. Zimbabwe requires 360,000 tonnes of wheat per year.
This season, wheat production will be financed under the climate-proofed Presidential Inputs Scheme (Pfumvudza/Intwasa), self-financed farmers, the National Enhanced Agricultural Productivity Scheme (NEAPS), financed by AFC and CBZ, the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA), and private contractors.
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