The Grain Marketing Board set the maize incentive price at $380 per ton for the 2025-26 season on an unspecified date, and this establishes a breakeven yield of 3.25 tons per hectare. The board announced prices for traditional grains at $380 per ton, soybeans at $580, and sunflowers at $668 after government consultations with stakeholders. Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union President Shadreck Makombe endorsed the rates as fair if payments reach producers promptly.
Agriculture expert Reneth Mano stated that Zimbabwe priced maize 46 to 58 percent higher than Zambian domestic rates, and the government should address production costs rather than output prices. The Southern African Development Community forecast normal to above-normal rainfall under a weak La Niña pattern. A gross margin analysis revealed that cultivating one hectare of maize costs approximately $1,234 without transport or irrigation expenses, but most years produce yields below one ton per hectare compared with the 3.25-ton breakeven threshold.
Agriculture expert Reneth Mano stated that Zimbabwe priced maize 46 to 58 percent higher than Zambian domestic rates, and the government should address production costs rather than output prices. The Southern African Development Community forecast normal to above-normal rainfall under a weak La Niña pattern. A gross margin analysis revealed that cultivating one hectare of maize costs approximately $1,234 without transport or irrigation expenses, but most years produce yields below one ton per hectare compared with the 3.25-ton breakeven threshold.
