Zimbabwe Revival of Cotton Farming Needs More Support

19 November 2024

The Herald (Harare)

By Ray Bande

Cotton is a vital source of livelihood for thousands of rural families, mostly those living in low-rainfall regions and the lowveld area of Chipinge.

Even those in the Ruwangwe area of Nyanga North Constituency, let alone some parts of Makoni District will attest that cotton production is a viable source of livelihood.

To place matters into context, a livelihood is a means of securing the necessities of life.

Simply because this crop is resilient and can thrive even in arid conditions, access to necessities of life is made easier with the white gold production.

Loved for its drought resistant nature, cotton is a cash crop which can help livelihoods of most smallholder farmers.

For the 2024/2025 farming season, Manicaland is targeting to put about 25 000 hectares under cotton, up from a paltry 11 411 hectares planted during the 2023/24 season.

Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) provincial director, Mr Nhamo Mudada, confirmed the numbers, adding that the crop thrives well in Chipinge, Makoni, Buhera, Mutare and Nyanga.

"We are looking forward, as a province, to produce cotton in Buhera, Chimanimani, Chipinge, Makoni, Mutare, Mutasa and Nyanga districts.

"We are targeting Chipinge to produce the bulk of the crop at about 60 percent of the provincial target. Roughly, Chimanimani is expected to contribute one percent of the provincial target, while Nyanga is expected to produce 7 percent," he said.

Mr Mudada said mechanisms had been put in place to augment production, including the Presidential Cotton Scheme.

"We have the Presidential Cotton Scheme that is available to support cotton production. Cotton merchants also support cotton production through contract farming initiatives. All these mechanisms are expected to ensure the targets are met or surpassed," he said.

He said mobilisation of farmers to revert to cotton production have been underway, especially in the Chisumbanje area of Chipinge South constituency.

"Our agronomists and extension officers are mobilising farmers, especially in cotton growing areas such as Chisumbanje to revert to growing the white gold, and restore production and productivity to yesteryears standards," said Mr Mudada.

The material and monetary value of cotton cannot be underestimated, no wonder the moniker -- white gold.

Cotton is a major agricultural export commodity that benefits various sectors, including the textile industry, stock feed and edible oil production.

At its peak, Zimbabwe produced 351 000 tonnes during the 2010/11 season.

Cotton producing areas in Zimbabwe include the central and north-western part of the country in the Midlands, covering areas in Gokwe South and Gokwe North.

It is also grown in the northern part of the country in Mashonaland Central Province in areas that include Muzarabani, Mahuwe and Mushumbi while in Masvingo Province it is grown in Mwenezi and Chiredzi Districts.

Farmers also grow it in Binga in Matabeleland North.

Cotton is a major source of income for rural communities in these areas.

It is usually grown under contract farming arrangements where contractors supply production inputs like seed, fertiliser and chemicals to farmers on loan.

On harvest, the contractor buys back the contracted crop, deducts costs of the inputs and pays the farmer the balance, making it one of the major cash crops contributing significantly to economic growth and improved livelihoods among growers.

After slumping to a two-decade low of 28 000 tonnes in 2015, cotton production has since rebounded due to Government intervention through the Presidential Cotton Support Scheme, which provides free inputs.

Poor prices had triggered loss of appetite for cotton farming.

Some farmers found themselves stuck with huge debts as their earnings from selling their crop to contractors was not enough to repay loans, thus relegating them to mere labourers.

The Government subsequently came up with the Presidential Cotton Support Scheme meant to support farmers with free inputs such as seed, fertilisers and chemicals.

The scheme is different from those previously run by private merchants where farmers were given inputs on commercial basis, meaning they needed to repay after selling their crop.

The State-assisted programme has brought renewed hope for farmers.

Resultantly, output rebounded, reaching 144 000 tonnes in the 2017/2018 season before declined the following two seasons due to back-to-back droughts that swept across many parts of the region.

For cotton farmers in the Chipinge South, sesame farming was making more financial sense than cotton.

During that period, the national organising secretary for the Cotton Council of Zimbabwe, Mr Thulani Thondlana, said: "Cotton production is fast deteriorating due to cost of production versus profit. It is no longer viable to grow cotton as the price does not allow one to go back to the field.

"Secondly, it is taking time for farmers to get paid after delivering their cotton at the various buying points. Most farmers have now switched to sesame farming as it is fetching higher prices as compared to cotton. This past season it was going for between US$1 and US$1,25, while cotton was at 46 US cents (per kg)."

According to Mr Thondlana, more than 50 percent of the farmers in the Lowveld had reduced cotton hectarage to accommodate sesame seed.

"It is a fact that more than 50 percent of the farmers in the Lowveld have cut the hectarage to accommodate sesame, which is fetching higher prices, especially for local farmers that sell their produce in the neighbouring Mozambican markets," he said.

Read the original article on The Herald.