The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has called for the arrest of ‘unscrupulous buyers’ who are involved in side marketing of maize which they said is now dislocating contract farming arrangement financed by the government.
In a statement on Tuesday, GMAZ urged its members to stop buying maize outside formal processes.
“The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) would like to denounce the on-going side marketing of maize by unscrupulous buyers.
“This unfortunate act of greed is now dislocating the contract farming arrangement financed by the Government of Zimbabwe, the CBZ Agro-yield and the Food Crop Contractors Association. The maize we have in the country, including the stock carry over, has to be complimented by imports in order to take us to the next harvest due to depressed yield due to poor rainfall,” said GMAZ.
The association further expressed concern that side marketers will seek to profiteer from buying maize for speculative purposes which will as a result disturb the revolving funding facility.
“We are now worried that third parties are buying that maize for speculative reasons at low prices with the intention to sell it later at very high prices. This act of profiteering has the potential to kill the current funding facility and stop it from revolving into the next season,” GMAZ added.
Government and private sector players have put in place a plan that involves the purchasing of local maize and importation of maize from neighbouring countries.
According to GMAZ, the plan is architectured in a manner that ensures maize is purchased via the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) and allows stop orders to be effected in order to pay back on the financing of inputs by government and other suppliers.
