The ManicaPost
Freedom Mutanda
Chipinge Correspondent
THE Cotton Council of Zimbabwe, an umbrella body for cotton farmers, has petitioned Government requesting for the immediate payment of over $2 billion owed to cotton growers since 2020.
In a letter written to Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka, the body requested the Government to facilitate the payment of all outstanding money owed to producers of the white gold to enable them to ameliorate their operations.
Cotton farmers have been assured that the delayed payments are now being processed with the ministry now directly engaging Treasury to settle all outstanding payments.
The president of the body, lawyer Mr Paul Mangwana, said farmers could not operate effectively without payment from the past seasons.
“Money should be paid timeously. As a result of non-payment to the farmers, they failed to remove crop residue from the previous seasons,” reads part of the letter.
Failure to remove the residue results in a poor cotton crop and the resurgence of diseases and destructive parasites.
Mr Mangwana further argued that failure by cotton farmers to access their monies starved the rural economy, a feat that militates Vision 2030.
“We are engaging you as the accounting officer of the ministry responsible for the sector to take urgent action before any further damage is inflicted on the economic and body politic of the nation”.
Meanwhile, the deputy organizing secretary of the organisation, Mr Thulani Thondlana said as the body that negotiates cotton prices in the country, they strive for the best for their members.
Apart from negotiation of cotton prices, CCoZ also looks at farmers’ grievances.
Mr Thondlana said following their intervention as CCoZ, some cotton farmers received their outstanding payments just before Christmas, and the exercise is ongoing.
Mr Thondlana said going forward, cotton farmers should be paid their dues upon delivery of the white gold to enable then ample time to prepare for the next season.
“Timeous payment will result in the regeneration of the rural economy. We are grateful to President Mnangagwa for the help he has given to the farmers throughout the country,” he said.
“We want the best for all cotton farmers. Now, we are urging cotton farmers to be involved in toll ginning for them to get maximum benefit out of their sweat. Cotton farmers should exploit opportunities for value addition and beneficiation to their advantage and sell cotton lint,” said Mr Thondlana.
Planting is going on and the CCoZ says it has representatives at all buying points in the country as it monitors the distribution of inputs.
Government in July last year paid $66 million to cotton farmers as part of its commitment to clear the outstanding payment for cotton deliveries made in 2020.
Cotton is a strategic crop in Zimbabwe and the Government has been supporting farmers to drive increased output so as to ensure transformation of rural livelihoods and improve their contribution to the accomplishment of an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
Through enhanced Government support, the country is reviving the cotton industry value chain.
Cotton has been the life blood of many rural households over the years.
In Manicaland, cotton is largely grown in the lowveld.
