A flooded cotton field in this file photo

Tawanda Mangoma in Chiredzi
The excessive rains being received across the Lowveld have started affecting the quality of cotton grown in the region, with some mature cotton bolls now rotting.

National Cotton Producers and Marketers’ Association chairman, Mr Steward Mubonderi, on Tuesday said most of their crop now required sunlight as the rains were affecting the development of more flowers.

“Our crops are now being affected by the excessive rains being received in most parts of the country,” he said. “From the tours that we had so far, we have noted that most of the mature crop is being affected by boll rot due to excessive rains.”

Mr Mubonderi said farmers were now hoping for a sun break for their crop to reach full maturity.

“The crop now requires a sun break,” she said. “Most of our farmers in areas such as Ngundu, Rushinga and Nyanga are struggling with water logging conditions, which inhibit crop growth.

“Last year the very same areas were affected by excessive rains. Farmers are busy improving the drainage systems for their fields so as to arrest the water logging conditions.”

Mr Mubonderi said farmers were patiently waiting for Government to start paying their five percent export incentives for exported lint through the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco).

“Our greatest survival strategy is to increase the weeding intervals and also apply more top dressing fertilisers so as to protect the crop from the rains,” he said.

“We, however, appeal to Cottco and the Government at large to quickly process our export incentives which they promised last season so that we can purchase additional top dressing fertilisers that will save our crops from drowning.”

Last season, cotton farmers faced serious challenges when the fall armyworm attacked and destroyed their crop, but the level of preparedness exhibited by cotton ginners and extension workers helped rescue the situation.

This season, Government, through the Presidential Well Wishers Inputs Scheme availed over $60 million towards the provision of inputs to 400 000 cotton farmers with the target of producing over 120 000 tonnes of cotton.

The scheme has so far managed to breathe life into the cotton industry, which had almost collapsed over the years due to the increase in cost of production and side marketing.