Staff Reporter

Picking of the white gold is currently at full swing countrywide, as farmers wait for the Government to come up with payment modalities.

The producer price for this marketing season is pegged at ZW$85 per kilogramme compared to last year’s ZW$43.94 per kilogramme.

This year farmers are expecting 170000 to 200000 metric tonnes of cotton compared to 70000 metric tonnes produced last year with bulk of the crop coming from the Government Cotton Free Inputs Scheme spearheaded by Cottco.

Cotton producers and marketers association Chairman Stewart Mubonderi revealed that some cotton farmers in areas like Gokwe, Zvipani, Muzarabani and Nembudziya among other cotton growing areas have already started delivering their cotton crop to nearby depots.

“Picking of cotton across the country is currently in a full throttle with farmers expecting good prices. Farmers are expecting authorities to come up with viable prices that will enable them to prepare for the next farming season.

“Farmers are really happy after they were assured by Government that they will be paid their outstanding dues in full by mid-May for the crop delivered last season,” said Mubonderi.

Farmers are owed ZW$1.5 billion by Cottco from last year’s deliveries, which were done when the Cotton producer price was set at ZW$43.94 (US$1.74) per kg. Cottco has had cash flow problems and the Government has intervened.

The Presidential Cotton Inputs Scheme has seen a significant increase in the number of farmers taking up production of cotton in areas where the crop had long been abandoned.

Cotton once one of the country’s largest foreign currency earners had lost glitter as farmers shunned the crop due to lack of funding and poor prices on the world market.