By Kudzaishe Chimonera
The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has unveiled new grain trade and storage systems aimed at strengthening agricultural value chains, widening market access for farmers and improving national food security.
In a statement, the parastatal said 89 depots and 1 804 grain buying points will now take part in third-party grain purchasing and storage on behalf of farmers, millers, stockfeed manufacturers and other processors.
The GMB said the new framework is designed to guarantee reliable access to quality grain for processors while opening cheaper and more efficient routes to market for producers.
Under the third-party purchase model, companies can register with the board, agree on a price per tonne and deposit funds into a GMB account. Grain held by the board will serve as collateral for the transaction.
“The model assists farmers to access markets at low cost while benefiting processors through GMB’s aggregation,” the board said.
Once payment is made, processors can collect prepaid grain from the nearest GMB depot, a move the board says will cut transport costs and improve availability.
The scheme also aims to support rural development, with women, youth, village business units (VBUs) and small business units (SBUs) playing a central role in grain aggregation.
Alongside the new trading model, GMB announced major expansion of its storage capacity.
The board currently operates silos holding 862 000 metric tonnes with a further 672 000 metric tonnes under construction. When completed, total capacity will exceed 1.5 million metric tonnes.
To encourage wider use of its facilities, GMB said it has reduced storage fees to US$2.90 per metric tonne per month.
The board said the expanded storage network will help farmers reduce post-harvest losses while also allowing regional and international traders to store grain under collateral management arrangements.
Describing the reforms as a “new era” for the sector, GMB said the combined trade and storage models would improve efficiency, empower farmers and make it easier for processors to access supplies.
“With nationwide reach, competitive pricing and modern storage, GMB is positioning Zimbabwe as a hub for regional grain trade,” the statement added.
