Police set up roadblocks to intercept maize

By Lance Guma
22 may 2007

Police this week mounted roadblocks on all major roads in the country to try and seize maize, which they say is destined for the black market. It’s reported that officials from the Grain Marketing Board and the police are manning the roadblocks jointly. Maize producers are not happy with the low prices being offered by the GMB and government has responded by forcing their hand and blocking them from selling to private buyers who are offering better prices.

Authorities have put in place restrictions that no one is allowed more than five bags of maize (250 kilogrammes) when travelling. Those caught with more are being charged under the Grain Marketing Act, which makes grain a controlled commodity that only the GMB can buy at a fixed price. The GMB is also said to be inspecting farms that have recently harvested their crops and trying to force farmers into selling their crop. A Z$3m per tonne price offer is however said to be well below what the farmers can get from private buyers.

With the country’s agriculture on its knees analysts warned that government was treating the symptoms rather than the disease. The shadow Deputy Secretary for Lands and Agriculture in the MDC Dr Vincent Gwarazimba said government was desperate to mask the failure of the land reform exercise. He attacked the whole idea of government showing up at harvest time demanding to buy the produce.

Already it’s calculated the country has only planted a tenth of its wheat requirements for the year and shortages of bread will certainly continue dogging suffering Zimbabweans. Haphazard and violent farm evictions, coupled with uncertainty for remaining farmers, have all combined with shortages of fuel, fertiliser and lack of farm equipment to leave the agriculture industry in the intensive care unit.