Improvements in the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) payment system are beginning to restore confidence among farmers and enhance grain delivery efficiency, with stakeholders saying the reforms are already easing cash-flow constraints and encouraging higher production.
Under the National Development Strategy 2 (2026–2030), Government has committed to clearing legacy payment arrears and implementing a 30-day payment cycle for grain and oilseed deliveries, in a bid to re-establish GMB as a reliable and preferred market for farmers. The Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy 2 (AFSRTS2) further reinforces this policy direction by mandating settlement of deliveries within 30 days.
Speaking to this publication, Zimbabwe Agricultural Think Tank (ZAAT) Secretary-General, Taruvinga Magwiroto said improved payment discipline was already yielding positive results on the ground, particularly among smallholder farmers who previously endured prolonged delays in receiving their dues.
“GMB payments to farmers are now being timeously disbursed, a development which has brought relief to farmers,” he said. “The Government has assured farmers that the Grain Marketing Board will pay for grain and oilseed deliveries within 30 days. That is a huge improvement.”
He said a predictable and reliable payment system was critical to rebuilding trust in the formal grain marketing structure and would likely encourage farmers to increase output beyond subsistence levels.
“If we get it right with GMB, everything will fall in place. If we create a guaranteed market for farm produce, farmers will move away from producing only what is enough and instead produce surpluses that can be taken by GMB,” said Magwiroto.
He added that reliable cash flows were central to boosting agricultural productivity, noting that consistency in payments would enable farmers to plan, invest, and scale up production with greater confidence.
Magwiroto said implementation remained the key challenge, stressing that policy announcements needed to be matched by operational efficiency and adequate institutional support.
“To announce a policy is one thing and to implement it is another. Government has invested in infrastructure development that will facilitate renewal and financing of GMB. People should be able to produce wherever they are,” he said.
He also called for stronger engagement between the GMB and smallholder farmers to improve grain mobilisation and broaden participation in the formal marketing system, particularly in remote production zones.
Magwiroto said improved coordination would be essential in reducing delivery bottlenecks and enhancing efficiency across the grain value chain.
The think tank further urged increased investment in rural industrialisation and supporting infrastructure to boost productivity among small-scale farmers, saying such interventions could unlock agricultural potential in areas such as Buhera, Tsholotsho and Nyajena.
He noted that historical underfunding had weakened GMB operations, resulting in delayed payments that discouraged production and undermined confidence in the institution as a dependable buyer.
“GMB has not been adequately funded. People used to deliver and get paid a year later. If we get it right with GMB, all things will fall in place. If GMB works well, farmers will have a guaranteed market,” he said.
Magwiroto added that strengthening the efficiency and reliability of GMB operations would be central to rural economic development by providing stable markets, encouraging higher agricultural output and improving rural livelihoods.
If sustained, the payment reforms are expected to strengthen confidence in the formal grain marketing system and support efforts to boost national food security through increased agricultural output.
