There has been a decline in cotton production in Zimbabwe.

COTTON ginners are yet to pay additional cash to farmers for their crops after price adjustments following the completion of grading at ginneries.
Last month, the Cotton Ginners Association of Zimbabwe announced that ginners were ready to start paying farmers after the price adjustments.
Due to unavailability of grading technology at most buying points, ginners were paying an initial US$0, 30 per kg, equivalent to the price of grade D of seed cotton produced in 2014/15 farming season.
The CGAZ director general, Godfrey Buka, in a statement said electricity shortages and delays in transporting seed cotton had contributed to delays in making the top up payments and apologised to farmers for the delay.
However, Cotton Growers and Marketers Association chairman, Morris Mukwe, said the delays in paying the adjustments had left farmers in a quandary, making it impossible for them to make preparations for the 2015/2016 season.
“The decision by merchants to delay the price adjustment has left the bulk of the producers stranded. They do not know whether to make preparations for the following season or to wait for the merchants to pay them.
“Farmers cannot make any preparations right now because they do not have the finance to make the necessary preparations. During the marketing season, merchants paid farmers an interim of US$0,30 per kilogramme and are now expected to pay more, after the grading process. Farmers need that price adjustment for survival,” Mukwe said.
Mukwe also indicated that it was highly unlikely for the ginners to pay farmers the crop adjustments anytime soon considering the buying points were scattered across the country. Without grading the crop, it means ginners will not be in a position to pay farmers the price adjustments.
“Reports show that at one buying point in Gokwe, there are 1 6000 bales of cotton to be collected and awaiting grading. If the cotton is not graded then ginners will not pay the farmers. How can the ginners pay the farmer when they are failing to pay their workers with some employees going for four months without salaries?” he asked.
Seed cotton production in Zimbabwe has declined by 34 percent from 136 000 tonnes in the 2013/2014 season to 90 000 tonnes in the 2014/2015 season due to drought experienced during the rainy season. This is the second lowest crop in the last two decades after 60 000 tonnes was harvested in the 1991/92 season also due to severe drought conditions.
The process of registration, contracting and collection of the first tranche of inputs for the forthcoming season was expected to run concurrently with the payments of price adjustments, for the convenience of farmers.
Growers feel cheated by contractors whom they often accuse of enriching themselves at their expense.
Cotton production previously contributed sustainably to rural incomes. It was the mainstay of rural communities, resulting in the development of areas like Gokwe, Sanyati, Rushinga, Checheche, Muzarabani, Matepatepa in Bindura and Muzarabani.
Apart from the volatile international prices, decline in the production of the white gold can also be attributed to extreme weather, poor distribution of rain, side marketing, high input costs and the decline in yield per hectare.
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