Millicent Mtombeni

Herald Reporter

The cotton marketing season started yesterday amid high expectations from farmers of early payments for the crop upon delivery at the 773 buying points countrywide.

Zimbabwe Farmers Union director, Mr Paul Zakariya said farmers were ready to deliver their cotton bales at the buying points while cotton picking was also progressing.

“Cotton picking is in progress and farmers are ready to deliver to the buying points,” he said.

The Government set the price of cotton at $85 per kg.

There are 359 permanent cotton buying points and 413 mobile buying points of cotton established countrywide for buying purposes.

“Outstanding payments from last season remain a concern among producers and cotton farmers await the clearance of these outstanding payments by end of May as has been promised,” he said.

Minster of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, Dr Anxious Masuka said in terms of the law, cotton must be delivered to designated buyers which include the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe, Southern Cotton Company, Zimbabwe Cotton Consortium, Alliance Gunneries and ShawashAgri.

“Farmers are reminded not to side market and to deliver cotton to their respective contractors and any buyer who has not contracted cotton is warned not to buy cotton.”  Minister Masuka said the Agricultural Marketing Authority officers will be present at all cotton buying points to monitor and enforce regulations.

“All contractors must be registered with both the GMB and AMA to participate in the purchase of cotton in terms of the AMA Act,” he said.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Dr Shadreck Makombe said farmers were ready to deliver their cotton to the market.

“They need time to clear cotton stalks and to also prepare land for the next crop,” he said.

He said farmers expected their payments to be made on time in the form of cash and not in kind or goods like what happened last season.

“The delay in the opening of the marketing season has caused the dwindling of the purchase value resulting in less inputs being bought because of high costs and no or less money for other requirements of the farmer,” said Dr Makombe.