Online Reporter
The Herald, 6 June 1986
ABOUT 488 cotton growers were prosecuted by Natural Resources Board inspectors last year for failing to destroy their stalks in time, Mr Derrick Henning of the Commercial Cotton Growers Association, said in Harare on Wednesday.
Addressing members of the cotton industry at their annual congress, he said the legislated destruction dates were often blatantly disregarded by commercial, small-scale and communal sectors.
“I believe that we, as committee (grading and destruction), would be railing in our duty if we allowed the present deteriorating trend to continue unchecked, or indeed unreversed, and consequently lose the major benefits to the nation which cotton has come to provide,” Mr Henning said. The number of prosecuted people was only a small percentage of the actual abuses that took place as the inspectors were limited by mileage allowances, he added.
As a result, cotton councillors and the three farmers’ organisations recommended the following legislation to the Ministry of Agriculture:
That the $50 per hectare maximum penalty become a $50 per hectare minimum penalty. Also the maximum payable for each offence be increased from $2 000 to $10 000, with the maximum prison term of two years.
That the same penalties for early planting apply, since these would have the effect of shortening the dead period to the same extent as non-destruction.
“There can no longer be any doubt that the existing legislation, as such will not achieve its objective, namely the control of the pink bollworm, if the present trend is allowed to continue,” Mr Henning said.
Lessons for today:
- The purpose of the conservation policies in Zimbabwe is to protect and sustainably manage the country’s rich biodiversity and natural resources. These policies aim to address various environmental challenges, promote sustainable development, and ensure the well-being of both the environment and the people.
- Burning cotton stalks, also known as cotton stubble, serves several important purposes hence one of the primary reasons for burning cotton stalks is to control pests, particularly the pink bollworm. These pests can overwinter in the stalks and cause significant damage to the next crop.
- While burning has these benefits, it is important to note that it also has environmental drawbacks, such as air pollution and loss of organic matter. Therefore, alternative methods like composting or using the stalks for bioenergy are being explored and promoted.
