Contractors urged to fund cotton farmers

Harare Bureau
THE Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development has urged cotton farming contractors to take a bold step towards providing sustainble funding to farmers in order to put cotton production on the recovery path.Lack of adequate financial injection in the cotton industry according to Agritex and farmers’ unions precipitated the miss on the set target output of 250 million kilogrammes as well as the ginners expected 300 million kg based on the seed sales for the 2012/2013 season.

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development secretary Mr Ngoni Masoka said reduced input support by contractors and the decline in prices were the major challenges threatening the viability of the cotton industry.

“The decline in prices was among other issues and input support went down from $42 million in 2011/2012 to $22 million in the 2012/2013 season.

“It is incumbent upon all relevant stakeholders in the industry to make a concerted effort to arrest the decline and ensure that cotton production back on the recovery path,” Mr Masoka added.

He added that the Government wanted to engage farmers’ unions as well as cotton producers in creating a platform for dialogue to discuss striking issues in the industry.

“The Government is prepared to support the cotton and agricultural sector as a whole in order to enhance viability especially on small scale producers,” he said

“So far $200 000 has since been disbursed to the Cotton Research Institute this year, and additional resources are being channelled towards farmer and extension worker training,” he added. Agricultural Marketing Authority chief executive Mr Rocki Mutenha also added that reduced Crop Support and Poor Crop Estimates had posed a major challenge to the growth in terms of production of cotton in the country.

“The 2011/12 season witnessed decline in contract support from $42 million to $23.7 million in the 2012/13 season.
“Contractors reported low uptake of inputs by farmers on one hand and on the other hand farmers claimed non-supply and ended into double dipping. This therefore resulted in compromised yields and quality of crop,” he said

However stakeholders who attended the cotton production review workshop in the capital yesterday resolved that contractors should provide farmers with a standard inputs package so that they will get adequate profit with the farmers getting adequate returns as well.