Source: Plan underway to revitalise cotton industry – herald
Mukudzei Chingwere
Herald Reporter
GOVERNMENT is implementing an ambitious plan to revitalise cotton production, positioning it as a cornerstone of rural development and economic growth, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka has said.
Answering questions at the post Cabinet briefing last week, the Minister said as part of the broader strategy to ensure food security before venturing into cash crops, the Second Republic emphasises the need for a sustainable approach that prioritises local communities. The agriculture sector, particularly cotton, is being positioned as a catalyst for rural transformation and economic empowerment.
Dr Masuka said the Government had started the construction of an oil expression plant in Gokwe and will move to areas like Checheche and Muzarabani upon completion in Gokwe.
This initiative aims, said Dr Masuka, to create jobs in areas where crops are produced as well as transform local economies by empowering farmers and integrating them into the broader economic framework.
“Cotton’s role in the Second Republic as a crop is like tobacco, an agent for rural transformation, improvement of livelihoods, so that these communities become economic actors and not economic spectators,” said Minister Masuka.
“So, that allows the 500 households that are involved in cotton production to then become part of Vision 2030 so the Government takes this very seriously.
“Government’s plan is a cotton value chain approach where we want the Government and the private sector to be able to come up with a structured framework to enable the growth of the sector.
“We sent a delegation to West Africa where cotton is grown by the smallholder sector and we have had a team come back from Benin to learn lessons about smallholder production and how they are able to become one of the biggest producers in Africa.
“We are looking at value addition and beneficiation, we have started to construct an oil expression plant in Gokwe, and we will be replicating this in Checheche and Muzarabani,” said Dr Masuka.
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