RESEARCHERS at Morgan&Co say government’s imposition of sub-par purchase prices for controlled grains like maize and soya beans has constrained the farmers’ ability to re-stock inputs for the 2022/23 season.

Maize, soya beans, wheat and barley are controlled products in terms of several statutory instruments issued by the Grain Marketing Board.

A tonne of maize is pegged at $75 000 plus a fixed early delivery incentive of US$90 per tonne.

The southern African country’s maize harvest declined to 1,8 million tonnes in the 2021/22 season from 2,7 million tonnes in the 2020/2021 season due to erratic rainfall.— BY BUSINESS REPORTER