Story by Gay Matambo
Government is on a drive to modernise cotton production with farmers in Masvingo Province being the latest to be registered under the new electronic biometric system for inputs distribution and produce marketing.
750 cotton farmers in the province have been registered so far under the new system for the 2024/2025 season as part of the government’s efforts to curb double dipping and side marketing during the inputs distribution and produce marketing processes.
In an interview with the ZBC News, Agricultural Marketing Authority chief executive officer, Mr Clever Isaya urged both contracted and self-financing farmers to get registered under the new electronic data system.
“The reason we have introduced the system is to bring about accountability in terms of movement of inputs and ensure that we manage incidents to do with side marketing. What we are doing is that before farmers they receive the inputs, we capture their full details, we capture their biometrics, that same information will be used in marketing. If you are not registered during the production season, you will also not be able to sell. So, we are encouraging all cotton farmers to be registered with the authority,” he said.
Members of the Joint Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture and Resettlement and the Thematic Committee on Peace and Security led by their chairperson, Honourable Felix Maburutse, who were assessing the process of registering cotton farmers under the new electronic system, said government is working round the clock to revamp cotton production.
Honourable Maburutse stated, “As we were moving around, we found out that farmers are willing to grow cotton especially those that are in the Lowveld because of the rainfall patterns here. The only challenge they have is that they have not received payment for 2023 and Cottco is accepting that they owe farmers close to US$5 million and they are promising farmers that they will pay them which has instilled hope in farmers such that they are ready for the 2024-2025 season.”
Government rolled out the Presidential Cotton Support Scheme meant to support farmers with free inputs such as seed, fertilisers and chemicals in a move meant to revive the sector which was collapsing due to low prices offered by merchants and challenges related to inputs shortages.
