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Cotton is one of the country’s strategic crops and top foreign currency earners. Last year it raked in $200 million, spurred by high international lint prices, almost doubling the amount earned in 2010.
This year, Zimbabwe is expected to produce between 265 000 tonnes and 280 000 tonnes of cotton, up from 249 000 tonnes last year.
We believe if farmers were offered good prices by buyers, or if the country was to process the cotton into lint before export, then the country was going to earn more than what was realised in 2010. The effects of this fall in prices are being felt in Gokwe, Muzarabani and Sanyati, which are some of the country’s top cotton growing areas.
According to a report we carried yesterday, most cotton farmers in Gokwe South are facing starvation after boycotting growing the traditional maize crop preferring the cash-rewarding cotton crop.
In interviews, the farmers said they opted to grow cotton ahead of the staple maize crop, hoping to use the cash realised from selling their cotton to buy maize.
They, however, said they were not prepared to dispose of their cotton crop at the price of US35 cents per kg offered by cotton buying companies. Some of them even threatened to turn their cotton into stock feed if the buyers remained steadfast in their decision.
Most families in cotton growing areas throughout the country are struggling to raise cash to buy maize, as most of their land was under the cotton crop.
“We at times engage in barter trade to make ends meet. We need maize for our mealie-meal and this demands cash which we don’t have. I am expecting about 21 bales of cotton from my fields but these won’t help us if we sell at the offered price of 35 cents per kilogramme. Most of us feel it’s not necessary to sell as it won’t make any difference in our lives,” said Mrs Shylet Chinava of Ganye area under Chief Nemangwe.
The farmers surely have a sad tale to tell.
Most cotton farmers throughout the country are holding onto their crop in protest against the low prices being offered by buyers. Companies are offering to buy the crop at US35 cents while the farmers want the companies to either match or better last year’s price of US85 cents.
The farmers say they were aware that their stance could have some boomerang effects if the impasse is not broken soon. The value of the cotton crop could depreciate if the crop is exposed to rain and other weather elements. We believe our farmers would not be in this predicament if the country had more ginneries and processing plants where seed cotton would be turned into lint before it is exported.
About ten years ago while opening a ginnery at Muzarabani, President Mugabe lamented this and called for the processing of cotton into lint before export. Sadly, not much has been achieved towards that as we continue to export our cotton in its raw form. As a result it fetches less due to price fluctuations on the international markets.
In our view, Zimbabwe and many countries in Africa and beyond which produce primary goods would be much more developed were they to beneficiate their agricultural products and mineral resources, earning more money and creating employment.
Then our farmers would not be scratching their heads and having sleepless nights wondering what to do with their agricultural commodities. Our cotton is regarded as of the highest quality on the international markets, meaning if we were to process this into lint, it would be world class. We would also sell the lint to the highest bidders.
The net effect of our continued export of products in their raw forms is that we are exporting jobs to other countries while our own people are struggling to get decent jobs.
The same is happening in the mining industry where we continue to export our diamonds, gold, platinum, nickel, chrome and other minerals in their raw form.
There is therefore a need for Government to come up with a clear policy on the beneficiation of our products. Granted, we do not have the technology to process all our products locally, but over time this can be acquired.
We do not see the reason why we cannot enter into partnerships with friendly countries and enter into technology tranfer deals that would in the long-run benefit our people. As they say Rome was not built in a day, it is the first steps and a clear vision of what we want to do as a nation to prop up our farmers and miners that will count.
We therefore urge Government to come up with a workable and lasting solution to the cotton price impasse, and a clear policy of what should be done to avoid such price impasses from recurring elsewhere.
The other year it was tobacco farmers who were crying foul over low prices, and today it is cotton farmers. Next it will be coffee and tea farmers, diamond and gold miners crying foul over low prices. We believe all this could be avoided if we promote the beneficiation of our products.
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter