The Grain Marketing Board has rolled out an ambitious nationwide programme, opening 1,804 grain collection centres across Zimbabwe’s wards, a move set to redefine the country’s approach to food security, farmer inclusion, and rural logistics.
The new centres, strategically placed at ward points previously used for the Presidential Inputs Scheme and Social Welfare distributions, are now operational and designed to reduce transport burdens for farmers while boosting national grain reserves.
Announced by GMB Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Edson Badarai, the initiative responds to the government’s broader agenda of decentralising services, creating community-based strategic grain reserves, and ensuring that no farmer is left behind. Every farmer who benefited from the Presidential Inputs Programme is expected to deliver 10 kilograms of grain to the local GMB point, an essential contribution toward the establishment of localised food reserves. At the heart of this initiative lies a deeper goal, building national food security from the ground up. These centres are more than delivery points, they are hubs of agricultural empowerment.
In a bold step towards flexibility and choice, farmers can also use the collection centres to exchange surplus traditional grain for maize, or vice versa, depending on household or market needs.
To further support agricultural growth, the GMB is finalizing a farmer-friendly system that will allow producers to use proceeds from their sales, or warehouse receipts, to directly acquire critical inputs such as seed, fertilisers, and chemicals. This innovation not only ensures the reinvestment of income into future production but also promotes a self-sustaining model where productive farmers build capacity season after season.
Logistical coordination and communication at the ward level are being handled jointly by GMB, AGRITEX, and the local leadership. This collaborative approach ensures that each collection point operates with efficiency and clarity, guided by a locally tailored delivery timetable. The involvement of community leaders speaks to the government’s “whole-of-community” development model, empowering grassroots structures to manage national priorities.
Importantly, GMB has reaffirmed its role as the buyer of last resort. Farmers, especially in remote areas, can rest assured that their grain will find a fair and guaranteed market. In an environment often fraught with middlemen and price manipulation, this assurance is a lifeline, offering not just income but dignity to the country’s producers.
This initiative is aligned with Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030, which calls for food sovereignty, rural industrialisation, and inclusive economic participation. By bringing services closer to communities and supporting market access for all categories of farmers, GMB is not only collecting grain, it is cultivating confidence, productivity, and national unity.
The Grain Marketing Board urges all farmers and stakeholders to utilise the newly opened centres fully and encourages them to contact the Corporate Communications Department for any clarification via telephone at +2638677004941 or by email at publicrelations@gmbdura.co.zw.
As Dr. Badarai eloquently states in the board’s slogan, “Food security, everywhere, every day,” this initiative proves that Zimbabwe is not just harvesting grain, it is harvesting resilience, progress, and shared responsibility.
