Elita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter
Cotton companies have been warned against buying the Government-supported crop, while farmers who are side-marketing will face stiff penalties. Cottco is the sole buyer of the Government-supported crop.
Cotton farmers were last year funded by Government under the Presidential Inputs Scheme, and the assistance will continue for the next three seasons as Government seeks to revive the textile industry.
Farmers received a full package of inputs for a quarter hectare from Government that included seed, fertilisers and chemicals.
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made yesterday said there were some companies that were trying to undermine Government programmes by trying to buy cotton sponsored by the State.
“I am aware of some companies trying to undermine Government programmes in different parts of the country. Some companies are buying the crop they never sponsored, that was instead funded by Government.
“The Agricultural Marketing Authority has been tasked to take note of such activities. Any AMA officials seen to be facilitating side-marketing of the Government crop will also be dealt with,” he said.
Dr Made said it was disturbing that some companies pretended to fund farmers and supplied inadequate inputs and were now seeking to buy the Government-sponsored crop.
He said AMA should have proper records of the companies that contracted farmers and the inputs they supplied.
“Government has its records of the people funded under the programme, and farmers are not allowed to side-market,” he said.
Meanwhile, Cottco has started buying cotton from different parts of the country.
Cottco is buying the crop at 45 cents per kilogramme, a price described by many farmers as a subsidy.
Regionally, cotton is selling at around 30 cents per kilogramme.
Cottco will also be recording every farmer who sells the crop and there will be bonus to be paid to farmers as and when it becomes available. This is meant to motivate farmers to produce the crop.
The Agricultural Marketing Authority has announced that there are a total of 106 common buying points across the country for the 2016 cotton marketing season.
According to AMA, cotton will be bought by registered buyers from areas which they supported growers with inputs.
The areas and the respective quotas are reflected on the buyers’ licences.