Zimbabwe's government will soon pay US$4.3 million owed to farmers who delivered corn and wheat to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) during the 2008-09 cropping season.

This follows GMB's failure to pay the farmers after the introduction of the multiple currency system in February last year.

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made told a press conference in Harare that Cabinet had approved the payment to farmers. "Cabinet has agreed that we should pay farmers who are owed for grain delivered during the 2008-2009 farming season. The government has already instructed GMB to bring the list of farmers who have outstanding payments for us to determine the amount needed," he said.

Minister Made said this would restore confidence in corn production. He added, "GMB should make sure that inputs are disbursed in time to enable farmers to take advantage of the late rains received in some parts of the country."

"We are experiencing electricity shortages and small-scale farmers should take advantage of the wetlands to plant their wheat," he said.

Minister Made reiterated the government's ban on genetically modified (GM) grains and cereals in Zimbabwe. This, he explained, would protect the environment that may be affected by the GM crops.

The ban came on the back of calls by some for authorisation of GM imports.