Tawanda Mangoma in Chiredzi—

The Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco) has this season engaged 400 000 farmers as it redirects its efforts to improving the yield, an official has said.

The development is also in line with the Government thrust to further extend the Presidential Free Cotton Inputs Scheme, which was set to end this season. Cottco’s managing director Mr Pious Manamike told farmers in Chiredzi recently that the organisation was now focusing at increasing the profitability levels for every farmer by ensuring that they produce a minimum 1 000kgs per hectare.

“We are now in the third year of the Presidential Free Inputs Support Scheme where our yield potential has been improving, despite experiencing successive droughts in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons,” he said.

“At the moment we are working with 380 000 farmers. Our target as we go into the coming season is to plant 33 000 plants per hectare. “This would see the least producing farmer getting at least 1 000 kgs per hectare and with our price of 47 cents for Grade D, the farmer would get $470 as a minimum.

“In addition you will note that our inputs packages cost $140 and even if we open a credit facility, the farmers will still make a profit.”

Farmers who spoke to The Herald during a tour of some cotton buying points commended Government for increasing the export incentive from 5 percent to 10 percent during the last farming season.

“We are happy that this time around Government is simultaneously paying farm gate prices of 47cents per kg and 10 cents, which is the export incentive.

“So far Cottco is yet to pay us the export incentives accruing from the last season. We have been informed that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is in the midst of verifying farmers’ details,” said Mrs Lorita Watch of Zvemombe in Chiredzi North Constituency.

Some of the white gold (cotton) farmers urged Cottco to timeously share with farmers seasonal outlooks for them to plan ahead. Mr Kudakwashe Musingarimi said poor planning and lack of adequate information had in the past been affecting the farmers’ target yields.

“Though Cottco has improved on timely distribution of inputs, we are concerned with lack of information regarding climatic dynamics.

“For instance areas surrounding Chisase and Banga (Masvingo South Constituency) received over 1000mm of rainfall and this affected the crop in the 2016 to 2017 season, since we had planted on poorly drained fields.