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Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made said the price matched what local farmers were demanding when they fell out with local ginners and merchants in recent seasons.
“The farmers were correct in demanding more than what the buyers were offering and we encourage merchants to pay them the outstanding balance now that the international standards used to fix prices have dictated otherwise,” said Minister Made.
Favourable prices should spur production of the “white gold” in much the same way as tobacco.
Current world production figures stand at 115,5 million bales while consumption stands at 116,6 million bales, indicating a production shortfall of 1,1 million bales in 2010/11.
This season’s shortfall follows the 17,0 million bale deficit in 2009/10 which put global supplies at their tightest in 15 years.
This has resulted in firming of global prices.
A Zimbabwe Farmers Union official, who declined to be named, said it was now Government’s prerogative to ensure merchants paid farmers in line with international standards. He challenged Government to encourage and assist farmers to start value addition of cotton instead of selling it as lint.
Farmers can also produce cotton seed cake for feedstock, said the official.
“This will also put paid to the yearly price wrangles that have seen contractors, farmers and merchants alike breaching their contractual obligations ending up seeking arbitration.
In most cases the farmer has been the loser and some have had their property attached after side-marketing their produce in search of better prices,” he said.
Meanwhile, the national cotton hectarage for the 2010/2011 agricultural season has reached 248 983ha according to the latest Agritex crop assessment.
This surpasses last season’s 186 573ha and the hectarage could expand further as some farmers are still reportedly planting.
Midlands Province has the biggest hectarage (96 361ha), followed by Mashonaland Central (82 532ha), Mashonaland West (28 143ha), Masvingo (22 370ha), Manicaland (11 840ha), Matabeleland North (4 228ha), Mashonaland East (3 325ha), and Matabeleland South (179ha).-The Herald
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