The government has announced a new producer price for strategic farming commodities such as maize and wheat ahead of the marketing season.

Agriculture minister Anxious Masuka announced the new prices for strategic for the 2023 marketing season.

The strategic commodities include maize, traditional grains, soya beans, and sunflower which play a pivotal role in the country’s economy.

In a press statement, Masuka said the marketing and pricing system being proposed is consistent with achieving both food and nutrition security and supporting farmers remain viable.

 The prices are USD 335 per metric tonne for maize and traditional grains which would be paid to farmers by the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) as USD 200 in foreign currency plus USD 135 in ZWL at the interbank rate.

For traditional grains, GMB will pay USD$368 per metric tonne distributed as USD 200 in foreign currency plus USD 168 in ZWL at the interbank rate.

Masuka said the producer price for wheat is USD $ 520 per metric tonne while Soya beans is pegged at USD $580 per metric tonne distributed at USD 348 and USD 232 as ZWL at the interbank.

GMB will in turn sell Soybeans to oil expressers at USD $638 per metric tonne paid as USD 418 in foreign currency and USD 290 as ZWL at the interbank.

Sunflower floor, according to the government, will be sold at USD $765.6 paid as USD 418 in hard currency and USD 347.6 converted to the local currency at the prevailing interbank rate.