Paul Nyakazeya, Group Digital Editor 
THE government has so far spent $41 billion on payments for grain deliveries this year, with a record 1,3 million tonnes being received by the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa has revealed.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the minister said the government is now making efforts to expedite payment of $5,6 billion for grain that has already been received.
Monica Mutsvangwa, Information Minister
“A record 1 265 688 metric tonnes of grain have so far been delivered to the GMB comprising: 1 092 469 metric tonnes of maize, representing a 535 percent increase compared to last year; 981 679 metric tonnes of soybeans, translating to a 911 percent increase; 176 263 metric tonnes of wheat, representing an eight increase; and 98 641 metric tonnes of traditional grains showing a 657 percent increase,” she said.
The minister said Mashonaland West had the highest maize, soybean and wheat deliveries, while Mashonaland Central had the highest traditional grains intake.
On preparations for the summer grains production season, Mutsvangwa said over two million farmers had so far been trained under the climate-proofed Presidential inputs supply scheme.
“Under the National Enhanced Agriculture Production Programme (NEAPS) or Command Agriculture, CBZ Agro Yield has so far contracted 66 598 hectares and payment verifications are underway. To ensure farmer viability, curbside-marketing and reduce costs of production, government is engaging private sector financiers to put in place measures to curb exchange rate losses as well as ensure interest rates remain at sustainable levels,” she said
Local fertiliser companies will also be supported to make the commodity affordable through local production. In that regard, she said the foreign currency auction market is being fine-tuned to ensure the companies get the requisite foreign currency on time and funding backlogs are cleared, the minister said.
Meanwhile, some 113 477 tobacco growers have registered for the 2021/2022 season, compared to 123 159 growers who registered during the same period last season.
“To date, a total of 24 682 hectares of tobacco have been planted, representing a 31 percent increase in the total area planted last season. Pertaining to cotton, the Cabinet wishes to advise the public that the marketing of seed cotton has tailed off,” Mutsvangwa said.
A total of 132 862 054 kilogrammes were delivered to the country’s six cotton contractors, compared to the 83 059 898 kg received last year, translating to a 59,1 percent increase.
“In terms of preparations for the 2021-2022 summer production season, a total of 347 583 households have been trained under the Presidential Climate-Proofed Pfumvudza/Intwasa Cotton Programme and input distribution is underway,” Mutsvangwa said.
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