By Tafara Chikumira
THE government has unveiled a raft of measures to ensure the viability of the cotton sector, popularly known as white gold, by plugging loopholes that have long threatened its sustainability.
This comes as stakeholders in the cotton value chain met in Redcliff this Thursday for the Cotton Indaba, where the viability of the industry came under the spotlight.
Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Honourable Vangelis Haritatos, said the new reforms will put an end to side-marketing and contract farming malpractices which have undermined the sector.
“This is the beginning of renewal as we confront the impossibilities. We can’t continue with broken contracts and side marketing. The true cost is not just in tonnage lost, but in the thousands who suffer. The era of passive regulation is over. We are introducing a stop-order system and implementing national grower registration with a biometric registry spearheaded by AMA. This is non-negotiable,” said Hon. Haritatos.
He added that climate-smart practices, research-based agronomy, and value addition through textile mills and rural industrialisation hubs are central to the revitalisation agenda.
Stakeholders also underscored the need for cushioning farmers against volatile international pricing.
Southern Cotton Managing Director, Mr Caos Nzenze, proposed a stabilisation fund to protect farmers when global prices drop.
“Cotton prices are pegged on the international market, which at times leaves farmers incurring losses. A stabilisation fund would help sustain cotton farming during periods of low prices,” he said.
Agricultural Marketing Authority Acting CEO, Mr Jonathan Mukuruba, said monitoring mechanisms are being put in place to ensure proper use of distributed inputs.
“We realised that most farmers were not utilising inputs as expected, with some engaging in side-marketing. To curb this, clerks have been deployed countrywide to track inputs and enforce compliance,” he explained.
The government says over 400,000 households rely on cotton production, making the sector a key pillar in rural development and industrialisation.
