adminA survey by Business Chronicle in Nyamandlovu revealed that the majority of farmers who were contracted by Cottco as contract cotton growers have not planted the cash crop for the 2012/2013 planting season .
In separate interviews, farmers said they had resorted to growing maize and sorghum since Cottco had paid them small amounts of money for their produce against the figures gazetted by the Government in June.
“Last year we were disappointed when Cottco decided to buy a kilogramme of high quality cotton at $0,35 while Government had gazetted the minimum price at $0,77 per kilogramme,” said Mr Josiah Tshuma.
He said Government had announced that the minimum price of cotton would be $0,77 cents per kilogramme since there had been a stalemate between buyers and cotton growers over the viable price of the cash crop.
“During the marketing season, Government had clearly announced that cotton growers were supposed to sell grade D cotton at $0,77, grade C at $0,79, grade B at $0,81 and grade A cotton at $0.84 per kilogramme,” said Mr Tshuma.
Another communal farmer, Mrs Florence Nyathi, from Redleaf, said most of the farmers had resorted to growing other cash crops because cotton was not viable.
“We were forced by the situation to remove cotton after realising that most of the neighbouring farms had boycotted cropping it.
“We planted maize on the 1,5 hectares, on which we usually plant cotton after realising that almost all farmers had boycotted planting the cash crop,” said Mrs Nyathi.
She said as a safety precaution, part of her fields were reserved for cotton planting in the event that cotton buyers agree on purchasing cotton at viable prices.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union Matabeleland North cotton commodity representative Mrs Simiso Ndlovu said farmers felt swindled by cotton companies last year hence had decided to boycott planting the crop this season.
“We intend to write a report which will be presented at the ZCFU national meeting, notifying the association what transpired last year.
“Most of the farmers felt robbed when Cottco came to collect their produce, which prompted them not to plant the cash crop this year,” said Mrs Ndlovu.
She said the company had undertaken unfair pricing system since all cotton grades were purchased by Cottco at $0,35 per kilogramme.
“The company did not pay the farmers according to the quality of cotton, since all grades were bought at $0,35 per kilogramme and promised to pay the farmers bonuses, which they have not yet received,” she said.
Efforts to get a comment from Cottco management proved fruitless since secretaries claimed that management were in a meeting the whole day.
Online Reporter