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Elita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter
Cottco is the sole buyer of cotton this season after Government supported farmers under its input scheme.

The move is consistent with the Government strategy of supporting cotton farmers countrywide for three seasons.

It started giving inputs to cotton farmers last year, while harvesting of the crop has started countrywide.

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister, Dr Joseph Made said Cottco will be the exclusive buyer of the commodity.

“No one else will buy this crop because Government funded a total package to the farmers contrary to what some contractors have been doing.

“Cottco will be recording every farmer who sells the crop and indicate to those farmers inputs for the following season,” he said.

Cottco will determine prices and negotiations are underway. Dr Made said the price will not be less than 45 cents per kilogramme.

Bonus will also be paid to farmers when resources are available and this is meant to motivate farmers to produce the crop. The cotton inputs were provided for free.

“Cottco will pay the initial price on delivery,” Dr Made said.

An estimated 60 percent of farmers grow cotton and these are mostly communal and A1 farmers.

Dr Made pledged Government support for cotton farmers.