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Edgar Vhera Agriculture Specialist Writer
IT’S all systems go for the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco), as it awaits the start of the 2024 cotton marketing season, which Government recently indicated would get underway early next month.
In a recent post-cabinet media briefing, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said: “Cabinet advises that the 2024 cotton marketing season will be from June 1 to 30, 2024. Farmers will receive 75 percent of their payments in US$ and 25 percent in ZiG. All outstanding payments by the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco) amounting to US$2, 65 million and ZiG2, 8 million will be cleared by May 31, 2024. The grade-based pricing system will be announced once on-going consultations are concluded.”
The largest cotton merchant, Cottco, has since started engaging private transporters to ferry seed cotton from buying points and transit depots to ginneries as the opening of the marketing season beckons.
In a recent X (formerly twitter) post titled: ‘Notice to all prospective transporters for 2024,’ Cottco invited willing transporters to lease their vehicles to promote swift cotton movement.
“Cottco is urgently looking for haulage service providers with the following truck tonnages: seven, 10, 15, 20 and 30 to move seed cotton bales from buying points and transit depots to the following ginnery depots – Chinhoyi, Chiredzi, Gokwe and Muzarabani.
“All interested transporters should submit company profiles incorporating letter of introduction, certificate of incorporation, CR14, CR6, valid operator’s license, certified copies of registration books, valid certificate of fitness, trade history, tax clearance certificate, banking details, proof of ownership and declaration of conflict of interest among others,” said the notice.
The notice added that the documents must be submitted as bound booklets, before or on May 27 at Cottco head office and old and new transporters were being encouraged to apply.
The prompt delivery of seed cotton will ensure that Cottco promptly pay farmers, as well as abide by the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) requirements for contractors to display grades to farmers within seven days of processing.
Cottco corporate communications manager Mrs Constance Makoni-Thodhlana yesterday said her organisation was ready to purchase seed cotton next month and was paying farmers their dues from last season on a continuous basis until the whole debt is extinguished by May 31.
She added that those who had not yet collected their money for the seed cotton they sold last season should reach out to Cottco to collect their dues.
“While we are giving them their money, we are still investigating why they are delaying to collect it.”
Last year, the country produced 90, 1million kilogrammes of seed cotton, a 61 percent increase from the previous season’s 56 million kilogrammes. Cottco took delivery of 69, 2 million kilogrammes of seed cotton in the 2023 season against 46, 7 in the 2022 marketing season.
This year production is expected to be lower than last year’s due to the El Nino-induced drought that affected both hectarage and productivity.
The second-round crop, livestock and fisheries assessment report estimates that production will be around 40 221 tonnes.
Online Reporter