Edgar Vhera

Agriculture Reporter

GOVERNMENT has directed all cotton contractors to ensure farmers receive the minimum inputs package on time so they can plant with the first rains as part of efforts to restore the crop’s former status as Zimbabwe’s “white gold.”

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri made the remarks in Harare on Thursday while officially opening the 2025 World Cotton Day commemorations hosted by the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco) and its partners.

The event ran under the theme “Cotton: The Fabric of Our Lives.”

“We are gathered here to celebrate a crop that is a pillar of our rural economy, a symbol of resilience, and our national pride,” said Prof Jiri.

“This is more than a commemoration—it is a strategic moment for reflection, collaboration, and shared commitment to revive the sector.”

Cotton production had declined sharply over the past decade, from a peak of 350 million kilogrammes in 2012 to just 28 million kilogrammes in 2024, while the cultivated area fell from over 400 000 hectares to less than 150 000 hectares.

Yields have also plummeted from 1,8 tonnes per hectare in 1980 to an average of 0,3 tonnes per hectare between 2020 and 2024.

“To reverse the downward trend, Government will support production of at least 180 000 hectares of the crop this season under Presidential Input Scheme (PIS) and other contractors must fund production of the other 90 000ha.

“All contractors should treat farmers as real entrepreneurs who take farming as a business and must provide them with minimum input package on time to allow them to plant with first rains for increased yield,” he added.

Inputs distribution under the Presidential Input Scheme had already begun, with deliveries to production areas underway.

Prof Jiri also urged processors, spinners, weavers, and fabricators to play an active role in financing cotton production to secure raw materials for their operations.

Although Zimbabwean cotton remains in demand globally, quality has declined in recent years.

To address this, Government introduced a grade-based price differential system at the inaugural World Cotton Day in 2022.

Prof Jiri said rewarding high-quality cotton should remain a priority in the upcoming price negotiations.

“Price differentials by grade should motivate production of quality crop while those not putting effort must pay the price,” he continued.

He said boosting cotton output from the 2024 low of 13,5 million kilogrammes was crucial to revitalising the local textile industry, which has been weakened by reduced domestic supply and increased reliance on imports.

Cottco board chair Mr Sifelani Jabangwe described cotton as more than just a fibre but a force of transformation.

“It is a poverty-alleviating and social protection crop, especially for communities in the dry and arid regions of Zimbabwe where cotton is a lifeline.

“Through cotton farming we have witnessed remarkable growth in rural infrastructure, household incomes and community resilience, schools have been built, homes improved and livelihoods secured,” he said.