eBusiness Weekly
Martin Kadzere
In the remote northern valley of Zimbabwe, Takesure Zhakimu, is considering calling it quits on the industry that sustained him and hundreds of his fellow villagers for years.
Muzarabani, situated about 200 kilometres north of Harare, the capital, is among Zimbabwe’s largest cotton producers, providing livelihoods to thousands of families.
But like Zhakimu, several other farmers in cotton growing areas are almost giving up on the crop, generations have depended on over non-payment of their commodity.
“(Cotton) farming is now wasting time,” Zhakimu, 56 and a beneficiary of Presidential Cotton Free Inputs Scheme told Business Weekly in an interview at his plot recently.
“I took the inputs (this season), but did not plant because I am owed. Even if I am to get the money, it’s now worthless. I need my money and I can give them back their inputs.”
Planted hectarage in the past season significantly dropped with many farmers taking up production of small grains, which also thrives under warmer and drier conditions. The Cotton Company of Zimbabwe finances about 85 percent of farmers, under the State assisted farming scheme known as Presidential Free Inputs Scheme, while 15 percent of growers are funded by private contractors.
Contracted hectarage declined to 336 200 from just over 400 000 ha in 2020. According to information obtained from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development, there is a variance of 43 percent between contracted hectarage and planted crop.
Of the 43 percent, 75,3 percent of the farmers planted less hectarage than they were contracted while 20 percent did not even plant.
“The outlook is not looking good for the industry, which over the past few years had shown strong signs of recovery,” a senior official in the Ministry of Agriculture who declined to be named because he is not authorised to talk to press said. The issue on non-payment especially on the part of the Government is discouraging so many cotton farmers.”
In the past two seasons, the Government offered to pay a support price in a bid to boost production, but still owe farmers several millions of dollars. The Government has since pledged to settle the outstanding amount but has not given timelines.
“How do you expect me to go back to the field when I have not received my full payment, not only for one season, but two,” charged another farmer who declined to be named.
“I would rather do sorghum than cotton because I feel exploited.”
The Agricultural and Marketing Authority (AMA) is currently undertaking a validations exercise to ascertain the level of financing and the actual hectarage planted.
No comment could be obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture.
After slumping to a record low of 28 000 tonnes in nearly two decades in 2015, cotton production rebounded, thanks to Government intervention through inputs subsidies.
The programme, now running for the seventh year, regenerated massive interest among farmers who had abandoned cotton for other crops citing poor prices and lack of agronomy support from contractors.
The Government came up with Presidential Cotton Inputs Scheme meant to support farmers with free inputs such as seed, fertilisers and chemicals. The scheme is different from those previously run by private merchants when farmers were given inputs on commercial basis.
