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Elton Manguwo
WITH the 2023 cotton marketing season fast approaching, the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) is moving to complete a monitoring and evaluation exercise on cotton production amid plans to release its findings next week.
AMA business director Mr Jonathan Mukuruba said the monitoring and evaluation exercise was an effort to ascertain the quality and quantity of crop that the country can expect this season – facts that are crucial in the fight to contain side marketing.
“The cotton production monitoring and evaluation exercise is carried out by AMA in conjunction with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS), farmers’ unions and other stakeholders,” said Mr Mukuruba.
At the onset of the planting season, all cotton contractors are required to submit to us a database of the farmers they will be supporting, targeted hectarage and inputs distributed.
The monitoring and evaluation exercise will be key in curbing side marketing and establishing the quality and quantity of this year’s output at the same time.
“During the validation exercise, we will be going on the ground to make sure what is contained in the database matches what is on the ground,” said Mr Mukuruba.
The development comes at a time the Government is urging farmers to desist from side marketing of contracted crops, as this will negatively impact the progress made in attracting the private sector participation in cotton production.
“Contract farming is a pivotal aspect of the agriculture business, which gives farmers access to markets, capital and other pertinent inputs crucial for intensive cotton production,” AMA chief executive officer Mr Clever Isaya observed recently.
Mr Isaya highlighted that strong measures had been taken to curb side marketing and these included the signing of binding memoranda of understanding (MOUs) between AMA and contractors, as well as fines and penalties for related offences.
“We are currently in the process of identifying common buying points, which our farmers will use during the marketing season to which AMA clerks will be deployed,” he said underlining how all contractors are required by law to buy from their contracted farmers.
AMA in collaboration with other Government departments are training farmers on basics of grading and curbing contamination of seed cotton, which is critical for good quality cotton.
“Cotton is a strategic crop in the country and the second largest foreign currency earner after tobacco, therefore its production to marketing should be safeguarded,” said Mr Isaya
Following the introduction of the Presidential Cotton Input Programme (Pfumvudza/Intwasa) cotton production is positioned to grow, as 400 000 farmers were capacitated with seed and fertilisers to boost production and expand the whole value chain in line with rural industrialisation.
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