Govt injects $6m into cotton inputs
GOVERNMENT has released about $6 million to procure additional cotton inputs under the Presidential Input Scheme, raising hopes for a much bigger harvest, an official said.
This comes after farmers in some major cotton producing areas had reported shortages of fertilizers and chemicals as farmers planted a bigger hectarage than the initially projected.
While the Government distributed about 6 000 tonnes, it is estimated that an additional 2 000 tonnes of seed leftovers from the previous season might have also been planted.
This means some farmers planted more than 2 hectares, more than what the Government is supporting under the scheme.
“Government has approved the procurement of more fertilizers and chemicals to cover for that mismatch (of the targeted hectarage and the actual planted),” Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Dr John Mangudya said yesterday.
The $6 million worth of inputs are in addition to $42 million the Government is spending to finance cotton production.
The programme is being adminis- tered by The Cotton Company of Zimbabwe, which has since been taken over by the Government through conversion of debt into equity.
The national cotton crop is expected to register substantial increase this year and this growth has been driven by Government support in the form of free inputs and the good rains.
However, the yields would have been affected as a result of shortages of top dressing fertilizers and chemicals that protects the crop from diseases.
In the past two weeks, The Herald Business visited some major cotton producing areas where some farmers expressed concern over shortages of fertilizers and chemicals.
Zimbabwe is expected to register substantial growth this year from 30 tonnes last season to about 100 million kgs, according to initial forecast.
However, estimates are still provisional and subject to revision. At its peak, Zimbabwe produced 352 tonnes.
Cotton was once referred to as “white gold” in apparent reference to handsome profits obtained made by the farmers.
However, the opening up of the cotton sector to new players was the death knell for Zimbabwean cotton.
From being one of global cotton’s top quality producer the sector had virtually collapsed.
The success of cotton in Zimbabwe was built around the Cottco inputs credit scheme which started in 1992 and ensured that farmers received adequate funding and quality incentives.