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THE Cotton Ginners Association says it is targeting to contract farmers to produce 250 000 tonnes of the crop in the coming cropping season.CGA director-general Mr Godfrey Buka told New Ziana that ginners were making final preparations for the 2013/14 season.
“They are registering growers culminating in the establishment of a common database which will facilitate elimination of multiple registrations. Following registration, contractors should be able to commence the distribution of inputs and the hectarage will then be established,” he said.
“However, based on the long-term average production, the preliminary target crop size is around 250 000 tonnes for the next season.”
Mr Buka said the registration programme was being carried out at all the 320 common buying points throughout the country.
He added that the amount required to finance the crop size would be established once the registration process was complete.
“The total funding can only be known once each contracting company has completed its contracts with individual growers.
Only then will we be able to aggregate the actual investment from each contracting company. The position will be much clearer in the next month when contract statistics become available,” he said.
He said the association would provide adequate inputs to farmers to encourage production of the white gold. Farmers were also assured of adequate extension back-up from agronomists employed by each contracting company, he said.
“The major incentive that farmers have is the availability of inputs through non-secured credit which no bank is prepared to give. The contractor takes the full risk on the amount borrowed in the event of failure to repay because of drought, side marketing, poor prices or any other calamity,” Mr Buka said.
Cotton production in Zimbabwe has been on the decline due to low prices resulting in farmers moving to other cash crops such as tobacco.
The decline has seriously dented the country’s efforts of reviving the textile and clothing industries which are under serious threat of collapse.
Production last year reached 283 000 tonnes while at its peak in 2000 Zimbabwe produced 353 000 tonnes of cotton. Cotton production is a source of livelihood for over 200 000 households. It is largely grown in the drier parts of the country which include Gokwe in the Midlands province and Muzarabani in Mashonaland Central province. — New Ziana.
Online Reporter