Agriculture Reporter
Cotton Producers and Marketers Association National Chairman, Stewart Mubonderi has urged cotton farmers to desist from side marketing and sell their white gold to the cotton company, Cottco which funded them.
Addressing cotton farmers in Raffingora, Mashonaland West today, Mr Mubonderi urged the cotton farmers to appreciate Government efforts in reviving the cotton industry urging the Government to pay cotton farmers in United States dollars just like tobacco farmers as they have promised.
“Cotton farmers should desist from side marketing their crop to private buyers who never supported them with inputs. We should all deliver our cotton to Cottco, particularly those of us who benefitted from the Presidential Input Support Scheme and those who received inputs from Cottco.
“In terms of Statutory Instrument 96 of 2021, cotton is a controlled product whose movement is restricted and must be delivered to designated contractors and any side marketing of contracted commodities attracts penalties,” said Mr Mubonderi.
“We are happy that Cottco has started paying ZWL$6800 and US$10 per each delivered bale as advance payment for cotton delivered this marketing season. It is encouraging. It is our hope that Government will start paying the ZWL$1.5 billion it owes to cotton farmers for cotton delivered last season,” he added.
Mr Mubonderi said cotton farmers were happy that the Government was considering to pay them in United States dollars just like Tobacco farmers, a development which he believed will boost the morale of cotton farmers.
A contact within the ministry of Finance and Economic Development revealed to this publication that the ministry’s proposal to pay cotton farmers in foreign currency is waiting for Cabinet approval.
Cotton producer price for this marketing was pegged at ZWL$85 kilogramme and if the ministry’s proposal is approved, 60 percent will be paid in foreign currency and 40 percent will be paid in local currency.
Cotton, once one of the country’s largest foreign currency earners had lost glitter as farmers shunned the crop due to lack of funding, poor prices and payment modalities offered by producers. However following initiatives such as the Presidential Cotton Input Scheme, production has been on the increase.
