Martin Kadzere
The Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco) has recorded strong interest from farmers ahead of the 2026/2027 agricultural season, following full payment to all growers who delivered seed cotton during the past marketing season, an official said.
The timely payment marks a significant turnaround for the country’s largest cotton contractor, coming against a backdrop where widespread non-payment and delayed settlements in previous years had severely eroded producer interest, leading many smallholder farmers to abandon the crop.
Cottco, which administers the Government’s inputs scheme and supplies free seed, fertilisers and chemicals to rural households, entered voluntary corporate rescue in April this year to restore operational viability.
In an interview with The Herald Business, Cottco corporate rescue practitioner, Mr Ian Mtetwa, revealed that over 72 400 farmers have registered interest in growing the “white gold” this coming season—more than double the previous year.
He said the surge in farmer confidence follows Cottco’s completion of payments for the 12 400 tonnes of seed cotton the company bought this year.
Deliveries were fully settled in both US dollars and Zimbabwe Gold, in compliance with Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) regulations requiring 70 percent payment in foreign currency and the remainder in ZiG.
“We had about 37 000 farmers for the past season, all of them fully paid,” said Mr Mtetwa.
“As we prepare for the following season, the total number of farmers who have approached us, motivated by this past season, sits at about 72 400.”
