Masvingo – Zimbabwean farmers are withholding their farm produce in protest of an influx of cheap Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) products into the country.
Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) acting president Robert Marapira blasted government for allowing GMOs in the country, saying they were putting farmers out of business.
“Farmers have agreed to stop selling their products to government through Grain Marketing Board (GMB) because of the GMOs. We have been thrown out of business, as farmers we also want to make profits out of our business but we can not do anything because the government has
allowed the GMOs,” said Marapira.
Marapira said Mashonaland East alone was withholding more than 600 000 tones of maize. “There are thousands of tonnes of farm produce in all provinces. Each province has an average of over 600 000 tonnes which did not go to GMB as farmers complain over poor prices for their products.”
According to Zimbabwean laws, it is illegal to manufacture GMOs in the country, however, the law does not ban the importation of such foods.
Marapira said one tonne of GMOs of maize goes for about USd 60, which is ten times less than the money which is needed by farmers for the same quantity.
Monstergabe is the main organism that needs to go.