Online Reporter
Edgar Vhera
Specialist Writer – Agribusiness
ZIMBABWE is poised to triple cotton lint value addition from below 20 percent in 2024 to at least 60 percent by 2030, through retooling, modernisation and investment in ginning, spinning, weaving and garment production.
This is contained in National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which runs from January 2026 to December 2030.
“During NDS2, the textile and clothing industry will be revitalised as a key driver of value addition, employment creation and export diversification.
“Local value addition of cotton lint is targeted to rise from below 20 percent in 2024 to at least 60 percent by 2030,” read NDS 2.
“The Government will maintain the existing fiscal incentives for the cotton, textile and clothing value chains, which include a manufacturing rebate and a zero percent tax rate on imported capital equipment.
“Public procurement will support demand for locally made uniforms and garments, while partnerships with tertiary institutions will strengthen technical and design capabilities.
“During NDS2, the Government will enforce the 30/70 lint agreement with ginners under which at least 30 percent of lint is dedicated towards supply to the local spinners, with export of lint restricted to under 70 percent.”
This will improve the availability of lint for domestic processing, critical for the support of domestic value-addition.
“Furthermore, the Government will strengthen enforcement of the ban on the importation of second-hand clothing in support of protecting domestic manufacturing,” read NDS 2.
The blueprint pointed out that currently cotton exports were dominated by raw lint and low-value lint products, while high-value textile exports such as yarn, fabric, garments and finished apparel remained minimal due to underinvestments in ginning, spinning and weaving.
The cotton to clothing value chain is on a solid foundation with the US$35 million revival of David Whitehead Textiles, giving impetus to bring the industry to its yesteryear state of employment creation and contributor of agriculture Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The company has since started to export yarn to Botswana, among other countries.
Increased value addition will bring more foreign currency from the export of high-value products and advance import substitution.
Recently, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Industry and Commerce toured company’s Chegutu and Kadoma plants to see resurgent industrial operations.
The committee noted that the progress being made at David Whitehead was in line with President Mnangagwa and the country’s vision of industrialisation and empowerment.
The country currently exports cotton (carded/not carded or combed), linters, yarn, other cotton waste, cotton seeds, oil-cake and other solid residues of cotton seeds as well as cotton seed oil and its crude fractions.
Cotton exports volume peaked in 2012 at 202 million kilogrammes, however, in value terms, the peak was in 2011 when the country earned US$244 million.
The 65 percent increase in average export price from US$1,25 per kilogramme in 2010 to US$2,06 in 2011, caused the boom in export shipments in 2012.
Following world lint price increase in the 2010/2011 season, farmers were well rewarded with seed cotton prices of US$1 per kg, which then declined and have remained below US$0.50 since 2011.
Since the 2015-16 season, the Government has been rolling out the Presidential Input Programme to increase cotton production.
