BULAWAYO – Zimbabweans must brace for a sharp rise in mealie-mealie prices after the government almost doubled the maize producer price.
In an announcement on Sunday, the Grain Marketing Board said it would be buying maize from farmers for Z$4,000 per tonne, up from Z$2,100.
The new price is the same for traditional grains like rapoko, sorghum, and millet.
This means millers, who buy maize from the GMB, will be buying grain at double the price.
Farmers have accused the GMB of delaying paying them for past maize deliveries, and only doing so after the weak Zimbabwe dollar had taken a tumble.
Farmers have been withholding their maize awaiting a price adjustment to match the rapid devaluation of the local currency, but without guarantees of timeous payment disbursements, the GMB could be starved of grain as farmers look to private sales.
“GMB is encouraging farmers who still have grain to take advantage of the new price and urgently deliver their crop to the nearest depot,” the GMB said in a newspaper notice.
