Online Reporter
Online Reporter
There is need for reforms in Zimbabwe’s cotton and oilseed sectors to boost production and ensure viability, acting CEO of the Agriculture Marketing Authority (AMA), Mr Jonathan Mukuruba has said.
Speaking today at the National Oilseeds Conference 2025 that is being hosted by Zimpapers in Kadoma, Mr Mukuruba made some recommendations on how to revitalise the sectors.
Mr Mukuruba said the biggest cotton contractor must be capacitated to take up cotton production and marketing it effectively.
“Outstanding farmer payments must also be cleared,” said Mr Mukuruba.
To ensure a smoother market for the harvested lint, he urged spinners to put in place adequate financing facilities to take up lint.
Looking to the future, Mr Mukuruba said a credit scheme must be considered to increase investments in the sector, while the creation of a stabilisation fund will help buffer farmers against price fluctuations and market instability.
The conference also focused on strategies to enhance the production of soyabeans and sunflowers, vital crops for the country’s oil expression industry.
Mr Mukuruba called on oil expressing firms to increase production support, suggesting a more proactive role in assisting farmers.
A key recommendation was the expansion of contract farming, a system that provides farmers with guaranteed markets and often, financial and technical support.
To incentivise farmers to grow more, Mr Mukuruba stressed that farmers must be paid lucrative prices.
Finally, he suggested that a small charge must be levied on imports to support local production.
The recommendations put forward by AMA underscores a concerted effort to address the multifaceted challenges facing Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector, with a clear focus on ensuring the sustainable growth of the cotton and oilseed industries.
