The 2021 cotton marketing season officially kicked off yesterday with seed cotton price set at ZWL$85 per kilogram, the Agriculture Marketing Authority (AMA) has said.
A total of 772 buying points have been set up across the country, with 359 being permanent points while 413 are mobile.
“The cotton marketing season officially starts today and only registered contractors and farmers will participate in the marketing season activities. The price of seed cotton for the 2021 marketing season is ZWL$ 85 per kilogram. There will be a total of 772 cotton common buying points during the 2021 marketing season, 359 being permanent points while 413 are mobile points,” said AMA communications officer, Munyaradzi Mlambo.
AMA has recruited 359 clerks to man all cotton buying points to monitor and enforce regulations, including COVID-19 protocols.
The authority has warned farmers against side-marketing their produce but stick to buyers who contracted them.
“All buyers are required to purchase seed cotton from areas which they supported growers with inputs for production. The areas are reflected on the buyers’ licenses. In this regards farmers are reminded not to side-market and deliver cotton to their respective contractors. Any buyer who has not contracted cotton production is therefore warned against buying cotton,” said Mlambo.
The authority will produce a weekly cotton market review to provide accurate and timely information with regards to this years’ cotton marketing.
The sector has been adversely affected by poor payment of growers in recent years resulting in farmers being paid voluntarily in the form of groceries, farm implements, productive assets and household goods.
As of last month, COTTCO owed cotton farmers ZWL $1.5 billion in outstanding payments for crop delivered last year as the parastatal continues to have cash flow problems.
