THE new payment system introduced by the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) for farmers who delivered grain has been received with mixed feelings by farmers in rural areas.
Rutendo Mawere own correspondent
GMB recently announced that farmers who did not provide banking details when they delivered grain to depots were to collect their money from any Post Office near them.
However, some peasant farmers in rural Shurugwi said the move would add extra costs which they had not anticipated. All along farmers had been receiving cash payments from GMB depots.
Tafadzwa Chigovo, a farmer from Mupambadzire, rural Shurugwi, said GMB should have informed them of the new payment system before delivering their grain.
“Our nearest Post Office is Shurugwi town or Gweru which costs about $7 to get there. This means for a two way one needs about $14. It is an extra burden on us as farmers as we were used to getting our monies from the GMB where we usually used scotch carts to get there,” he said.
Rudaviro Matambudzo another farmer from Tongogara said: “ The maize producer price is already very low so extra cost, like the travelling costs will definitely eat into our budget. I was used to walking to the depot to collect my money, but now I have to fork out bus fare.”
The maize producer prize has been set at $390 per tonne.
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However, Thadeus Mpofu, a commercial farmer from Somabhula, applauded the new GMB payment system and said it had less hustles.
“The new payment system is convenient to me because we no longer have to visit the GMB as often as we used to enquire about our money. I will get a notification from the bank if the money has been deposited,” he said.
