BY FREEMAN MAKOPA THE Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco) says it has disbursed US$9,9 million and $1 billion to white gold farmers.
In a statement, the company said payments have been progressing well, noting that ginning is in progress with lint allocations to local and export customers also undeway.
“Farmer payments have been progressing well with US$9,9 million and $1 billion having been disbursed to farmers to date. Ginning is in progress with lint allocations to local and export customers having commenced,” Cottco said.
Although cotton output declined in 2022 due to poor rainfall, the sector anticipates a rebound next year as a result of renewed interest by farmers.
“While national cotton output declined in 2022 mostly due to the poor rainfall experienced last year, the sector is forecast to rebound in 2023 due to renewed interest in cotton by farmers after the clearance of outstanding farmer payments and favourable modalities,” the company disclosed.
Volumes are expected to have a marginal increase due to a small crop under hybrid seed, with the parastatal currently focusing on crop establishment activities for the new season.
The Agricultural Marketing Authority (Ama) has, meanwhile, announced extension for the 2021/22 cotton marketing season to cater for the late crop, which was affected by delayed rains.
Zimbabwe’s normal cotton marketing season closes around mid-August.
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After this deadline, cotton farmers are required to destroy stalks by mid-September every year.
The strategy helps them prevent disease and ensures that as the farmers enter a new season, there are no carry-over diseases.
In a statement, Ama chief executive officer Clever Isaya said farmers should take advantage of the extension to deliver their crop.
“Following wide consultations, Ama wishes to advise farmers, contractors and other stakeholders that the 2021/22 cotton marketing season has been extended,” Isaya said.
“These extensions were necessitated by the fact that some farmers had a late crop due to delayed rains.
“Farmers are advised to take advantage of this extension to make mop-up deliveries of their crop as no extensions will be made beyond these dates. The normal cotton marketing season usually closes around mid-August, where farmers are required to destroy stalks by mid-September to prevent disease carry-over into next season.”
Cotton is one of the crops that are expected to drive Zimbabwe’s economic recovery.
The country has recently been receiving low rainfall due to prolonged droughts, and those growing cotton are expected to benefit from the crop’s resilience to droughts and climate-induced weather conditions.
But apart from late rains this year, farmers encountered many problems in the past that include lack of funding and low prices.
This past season, farmers were also affected by low temperatures that resulted in cotton balls failing to fully develop.
Last year, the country produced 138 million kilogrammes of seed cotton but agricultural players project that there would be an increase in cotton production in the 2022/23 cropping season.
They say higher output would be underpinned by government’s intervention with better cotton prices and the classification of cotton as an export crop this season.
Cotton is mostly grown under contract arrangements with ginners providing inputs and buying the produced seed cotton. Government, through Cottco, is the main contractor accounting for more than 85% of all cotton production.
Private sector interest in the crop has been significant, but farmers have raised the red flag over what they say is exploitation.
They say most of their earnings are taken by contractors, leaving them with little money for their domestic requirements.
Zimbabwe seed cotton is mainly produced by smallholder communal farmers with small plots ranging from half a hectare to five hectares.
Zimbabwe’s cotton is highly sought after globally because it is hand-picked with minimal contamination, thereby maintaining good quality standards.
Cotton players have, however, decried delays in getting export permits from the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development ministry, saying this was affecting their business operations and hamstringing their loan repayment plans.
According to the Lands ministry’s state of preparedness for the 2022/23 production and summer season buying prices report, the Presidential Cotton Scheme will focus on increasing the area under hybrid cotton seed and ensuring 100% adoption of Pfumvudza/Intwasa, a scheme that has been helping farmers with inputs in a variety of crops.
The report also said this year’s target was to put 400 000 hectares under Pfumvudza/Intwasa cotton.
This scheme will see 520 000 farmers benefiting, according to the report.
Two plots, each measuring 0,25 hectares per grower would be required for each farmer under the scheme.
Government has also been promoting the production of hybrid cotton varieties from the Cotton Research Institute. Cottco is also expected to have a seed production business unit.
Yields are expected to increase from 0,350 tonnes per hectare to about one tonne/ha.
The ministry also suggested that if the private sector and Cottco’s plans are actualised, cotton volumes will increase significantly in the coming seasons.
The peak period for cotton output was in 2010, when farmers produced 350 000 tonnes.
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