Online Reporter
Edgar Vhera
Stakeholders in Zimbabwe’s cotton industry have called for stricter enforcement of regulations governing cotton production to restore order to the sector.
This call came out of the recent Cotton Indaba in Kwekwe, themed “Revitalising Zimbabwe’s white gold — Towards a sustainable and competitive cotton sector.”
The Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) and Plant Quarantine Services Institute (PQSI) are responsible for administering various Statutory Instruments (SI) and legislation related to cotton production. The PQSI administers the Plant Pests and Diseases Act Chapter 19:08, while AMA is seized with the enforcement of Statutory Instrument (SI) 142 of 2009 as amended by SI 63 of 2011, SI 148 of 2012 and SI 118of 2022.
This establishes the framework for the production and marketing of seed cotton and seed cotton products, covering aspects like quality standards, classification and grading.
Cotton Producers and Marketers Association (CPMA) chairman, Mr Stewart Mubonderi, emphasised the need for AMA to be adequately resourced to effectively administer all SIs for the sector’s revival. “AMA needs to be well-resourced to monitor the industry and ensure the validation exercise is done on time, he said.”
Mr Mubonderi also said AMA must set a deadline for cotton contractors to deliver inputs or proof of purchases to Common Inputs Distribution Points (CIDP).
“These inputs must remain in these CIDPs to thwart the chances of presenting the same lot at different CIDPs. AMA clerks must be on the ground always until all inputs are distributed on time to farmers and the same at marketing time,” he said. According to Statutory Instrument 118 of 2022, contractors must provide AMA with a database of supported growers, proof of input purchases, and a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at registration. Stakeholders highlighted the need for robust systems and manpower for AMA to regulate cotton production, marketing, and processing effectively. They also noted the importance of infrastructure and communication technology for biometric farmer registration and real-time data sharing. Participants expressed concern over PQSI’s lack of enforcement of punitive measures against farmers for not destroying cotton stalks, leading to pest infestations.
Crop Life Zimbabwe vice chairperson, Ms Mazvita Shumba, urged the PQSI to enforce stalk destruction within the window period and charge punitive penalties to offenders.
The Plant Pests and Diseases Cotton (Amendment) Regulations 1988 mandate a ‘dead period’ for cotton growers to destroy plants and stalks to prevent Pink bollworm build-up.
