Gokwe regains place as top cotton producer

Source: Gokwe regains place as top cotton producer – DailyNews Live

Andrew Kunambura  25 August 2017

HARARE – Gokwe has regained its lost status as the country’s principal
cotton producing district after delivering a staggering 31 million kg of
the crop so far.

Statistics released by the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) for
August show that 60 million kg of the cash crop was delivered to the
Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco) as at August 4, with Gokwe District
contributing 51 percent of that.

This is a vast improvement from the 19 million kg that were delivered
during the same period last year, suggesting that the industry is on the
rebound following years of poor production mainly related to shortage of
funds and a global trade crunch.

Deliveries are expected to improve over the next three months as more
farmers bring their crop in.

Government, through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe provided free inputs
under the Presidential Input Scheme, covering 300 000 hectares, worth $43
million.

Gokwe outdid other traditional cotton producing districts in the country
such as Mbire, which is second with a 7,8 million kg (13 percent) output
and Chiredzi, which is in third place after delivering 4,2 million kg
(seven percent).

Kadoma has contributed 3,6 million kg (six percent) while Chipinge has
delivered five percent of the crop, an equivalent of 3 million kg.

Mt Darwin and Mwenezi districts, in Mashonaland Central and Masvingo
provinces respectively, contributed three percent each, equivalent to 1,8
million kg.

Rushinga has delivered 1,2 milliom kg (two percent).

Other cotton-producing districts, namely Bikita, Zaka, Guruve, Mutoko,
Bindura, Makonde, Kariba, Hurungwe and Buhera have contributed 600 000 kg
(one percent) each.

In recent years, there has been a significant drop in the production of
the crop, mainly due to lack of financial support. Most farmers had also
given up on the crop after failing to access payments on delivering their
crop.

The situation was further compounded by a downward trend in cotton prices
on the global market.

The cotton business sprung back to life during the last cropping season
when government obtained a $26 million input grant from the Chinese
government and from leading foreign companies China-Africa Cotton Zimbabwe
(Pvt) Limited, Sinotex and Sinozim Cotton Holdings.

The capital injection has allowed government to set the cotton producer
price at a lucrative $0,48 cents per kilogramme and added differential
prices as incentives, underlining the fact that local cotton prices have
rebounded in line with global trends.