At least 38 500 tonnes of cotton are expected this season, the Agricultural Marketing Authority has revealed.
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According to the recently completed seed cotton production monitoring and validation exercise, this represents a 33 percent increase from last year’s 29 000 tonnes.
The validation exercise was conducted by AMA, Government departments, contractors and farmer unions in most cotton producing regions of the country from April 13 to 17.
This exercise sought to authenticate information provided by cotton contractors on established hectarage and the farmers contracted, check the existence of growers on the AMA database and whether farmers are not growing ratoon crops.
The validation exercise was also meant to monitor the state of the crop, check the inputs given to farmers versus what was reported and establish potential output for the 2026 marketing season.
The validation report by AMA disclosed that cotton production has been declining over the years as farmers shift to alternative crops such as sesame.
“All six contractors (Cottco supplied fertiliser in some areas) failed to meet the minimum requirement of supplying at least 100 kilogrammes of basal fertiliser and 50 kg of top-dressing fertiliser per hectare, thereby lowering the expected yield per hectare.
“About 102 000 hectares were established, from which a production output of 38 500 tonnes is expected,” said AMA.
During the exercise, the crop was at the boll splitting stage with a few farmers harvesting.
In the Gokwe South district, incidences of dual contracting were rampant.
AMA noted with concern the shrinkage in hectarage in Gokwe North as a result of farmers planting fewer hectares than the contracted while some did not plant the crop altogether.
“Zimbabwe Cotton Consortium (ZCC) was reported to have issued the seed late after mid-December causing a late crop where the bulk of fields were yet to reach the boll splitting stage, said the validation report,” read the report.
AMA will not issue buyer’s licence to contractors in places where there is non-planting by farmers, low established hectarage, failure to identify registered farmers and their fields, failure to participate during the validation exercise, and dual contracting.
“In addition to the non-issuance of a buyer’s licence, a stricter quota system will be implemented for the surrounding common buying points, where the contractors were found to be non-compliant,” said AMA.
According to statutory instrument (SI) 118 of 2022 [Chapter 18:12], Agricultural Marketing Authority (Seed Cotton and Seed Cotton Products) (Amendment) Regulations, a monitoring committee comprising the authority, Agritex and each contractor shall conduct a verification process by the end of January each year to determine crop establishment.
Section 13 states that the cut-off date for issuance of first tranche inputs shall be December 31 of each year and the issuance of second tranche inputs shall be February 28 of each year.
Input distribution figures provide an indication of planned production but do not always reflect the actual crop established in the field.
This highlights the need for the second part of validation as a critical step in bridging the gap between projected and actual production.
Section 14 of SI 118 of 2022 states that “A fully compliant buyer or contractor shall only purchase seed cotton allocated to them as their buying quota as determined by the level of support.
The authority shall, by April 1 each year, issue contractors’ or buyers’ licences to compliant buyers or contractors specifying the allocated quota by buying point.
“A buyer or contractor shall, upon purchasing seed cotton, place a woolpack identification document (ID) on the wool. All contractors should issue adequate wool packs to their growers by March 15 of each year.”
SI 118 of 2022, under section 15 reads: “Inform growers of their grade results by way of displaying grade results at every common buying point within seven days after grading. Pay growers grade differential prices for their seed cotton deliveries after grading seed cotton by November 30 each year.”
According to Statutory Instrument 142 of 2009, “Seed cotton contract” means a contractual arrangement between a contractor and a grower, under which the contractor provides or finances the purchase of agreed inputs as recommended by Agritex in return for the grower selling a volume equivalent to the inputs given to him or her by the contractor.-herald
