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Edgar Vhera
Agriculture Specialist Writer
DISTRIBUTION of cotton inputs gets underway today with Government putting in place stringent measures to enhance accountability and improve grower viability for sustainable increased seed cotton production, as efforts to reclaim the industry’s yesteryear glory gather tempo.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said this in Harare yesterday when he spelt out the 2023/24 cotton production and marketing modalities.
“Transformation of the cotton sector is premised on grower viability, which can be achieved by giving farmers fair prices for seed cotton. Sustenance of this transformation is underpinned by grower viability and discipline at grower, contractor, Government, stakeholder and partner levels. Increasing discipline augurs well for value chain financing
“Farmers who received cotton inputs under the Presidential Cotton Scheme in previous seasons but did not deliver seed cotton to Cottco will access inputs on an explain-and-receive basis for accountability. Those who delivered theirs will receive inputs on a first come first serve basis,” Dr Masuka added.
Statistics from the Presidential Cotton Scheme show that the percentage of growers contracted against those who delivered seed cotton to Cottco has been declining from 58 percent in 2020 to 37 percent in 2023.
All contractors will give farmers the minimum standard input package for 0, 5 hectares per grower. This comprises 15 kilogrammes of seed, one kilogramme of carbaryl, 150 grammes of acetamac, one litre of nemesis, 50 kilogramme bag of basal and top-dressing fertiliser.
Dr Masuka said all cotton inputs would be delivered by contractors and distributed at a common distribution point.
“The Agricultural and Marketing Authority will capture information on inputs distributed at these points to establish a farmer database. All contractors will avail information on their inputs and registers of growers to AMA for transparent distribution. AMA will pass on the database to Agritex,” the Minister said.
Agritex officials know which farmer belongs to which contractor at production level for monitoring and evaluation under Global Positioning System (GPS) position system so that multiple family members do not use their multiple grower numbers created at AMA to sell and side market, he added.
Dr Masuka said it was necessary to increase production to reach the all-time high figure of 362 000 tonnes so that the country’s most sought-after hand-picked cotton is produced for sustained market supply.
The Minister urged contractors to invest in value addition and beneficiation so that more of the processed products are retained in the country and stop exporting jobs.
With most of the country’s cotton produced on dry land, it became necessary to climate proof its cultivation using the Pfumvudza/Intwasa approach.
“All contractors must climate proof production with local open pollinated varieties but there is need for better seed selection. Cotton Research Institute (CRI) and Department of Research and Specialist Services (DR&SS) will from this season onward assist with their foundation elite seed and select elite growers if we are to go back to our past performance of three to four tonnes per hectare,” Dr Masuka said.
The 2023 cotton marketing season has seen the crop’s yields increasing from 350 to 500 kilogrammes per hectare due to Pfumvudza/Intwasa, a figure, which is below the 1 500 kilogrammes per hectare of the past.
A combination of improved varieties, better agronomy and the adoption of Pfumvudza/Intwasa tenets was critical for increased seed cotton production.
The Minister said the cotton working group would be held monthly as the sector was important for rural transformation adding that Cottco would dismantle their parallel extension system with immediate effect and Government would provide extension services for everyone to cut costs and pay farmers more.
Input distribution is with immediate effect and the country is targeting 270 000 hectares this season.
Online Reporter