The Sunday News
Dumisani Nsingo Senior Farming Reporter
THE area under cotton production in the Midlands Province has increased by 18 percent to 78 916 hectares this farming season, raising hopes that the crop once referred to as Zimbabwe’s white gold might be on the rebound after years of decline.The crop had suffered from low intake as ginners and feeder companies such as textile companies are facing increasing pressure from cheap imported fabrics mainly from Asian countries.
The problem was also fuelled by low prices offered by buyers who during the 2011-12 season ended up buying the crop for as low as $0,35 cents per kilogramme instead of the promised $1,50.
Sunday Business visited Gokwe South district in the Midlands Province where the cotton crop was at various stages of growth.
Gokwe is popularly known as the country’s hub of cotton farming.
“We have seen a slight increase in the hectares cropped under cotton, there has been an increase of 18 percent in the area planted across the province. As I speak the crop is at various stages with farmers engaging in thinning and weeding activities.
“In the previous years the growing of cotton had declined as the prices were not lucrative largely due to the fall on the international market. However, through constant negotiations between the farmers, Government, ginners and merchants, the prices have picked up,” said Midlands provincial agricultural technical and extension service officer Mr Peter Chamisa.
In 2012/13 season 115 891 hectares was cropped in Midlands while in 2013/14, 59 830 hectares was put under the “white gold” and this season a total of 78 916 hectares has been cropped.
He said owing to the unfavourable cotton prices most farmers resorted to cropping tobacco, which has over the years proved to be the country’s lucrative cash crop.
“When the price of cotton went down most farmers shifted to cropping tobacco which is mostly grown in neighbouring Mashonaland West Province, with cotton fetching 35 cents per kg and tobacco $5 one would say the boycott was justified.
“The climatic conditions in the province suit tobacco growing and as such most farmers realised that it can be grown as an alternative cash crop,” Mr Chamisa said.
A farmer in Nemangwe village, Mrs Alice Gondo said cotton growing had become more of a tradition among farmers in Gokwe largely owing to its lucrative returns over the years.
“Cotton used to be a lucrative cash crop and one would sacrifice cropping it even if it’s laborious but nowadays the prices are very low that most farmers are now preferring to crop maize to enhance their household food security,” she said.
Mrs Gondo is a contract farmer under a scheme run by a company called Olam.
There are 250 000 to 300 000 rural households in Zimbabwe whose livelihoods derive primarily from the growing and vending of cotton.
The bulk of cotton growing is done through contract farming under funding arrangements devised by the cotton ginning companies and contractors. This has become the only way of funding cotton growing.
