Zimbabwe maintains local wheat price at US$450/T as government sets record target for 2025 winter crop
This move comes as Zimbabwe sets a record target of 120,000 hectares under winter wheat cultivation in 2025, aiming to produce 600,000 tonnes.
ZIMBABWE – The Zimbabwean Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has maintained the 2025 winter wheat producer price at US$450 per tonne (T), reinforcing government efforts to incentivize local production and ensure national food security.
The price, unchanged from the previous year, aligns with import parity and provides farmers with a profitable return on investment for future cropping seasons.
This move comes as Zimbabwe sets a record target of 120,000 hectares under winter wheat cultivation in 2025, aiming to produce 600,000 tonnes, significantly exceeding the national annual requirement of 360,000 tonnes.
In 2024, the country planted 119,954 hectares under wheat, harvesting 562,591 tonnes, alongside 6,697 hectares of barley, which yielded 36,120 tonnes. These achievements were part of the broader Wheat-Based Food Security Initiative, designed to curb wheat imports and stabilize domestic food supplies.
The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) confirmed it will continue purchasing wheat at the fixed rate under the Presidential Input Programme (PIP) and from self-financed growers, the latter group being permitted to market their produce freely.
The GMB will also serve as the buyer of last resort and partner with the Zimbabwe Mercantile Exchange (ZMX) to offer warehouse receipt services, a move expected to bolster storage capacity and improve price transparency.
Farmers’ groups, including the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU), have welcomed the producer price announcement.
ZCFU president Dr. Shadreck Makombe noted that the price is “competitive” and conducive for long-term planning, but stressed the importance of timely government payments.
“If input prices remain stable, the GMB rate is good. However, we urge prompt payments to ensure farmers can prepare for the next season without delays,” he said.
According to Leonard Munamati, acting chief director of the Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS), the upcoming wheat season will receive comprehensive support through several schemes, including the Presidential Wheat Support Scheme, self-financing models, private contractors, and the National Enhanced Agricultural Productivity Scheme (NEAPS).
Experts point out that maintaining a profitable producer price is vital for Zimbabwe’s ambition to become wheat self-sufficient and reduce dependency on imports, which have previously strained the country’s foreign reserves.
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