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Tawanda Mangoma in CHIREDZI
Cotton farmers have challenged private cotton companies to urgently come out in the open and declare whether they are prepared to continue assisting them with inputs or not, amid indications that most firms had boycotted supporting farmers this year under unclear circumstances.

At least six private cotton companies, which financed cotton production last year, have stopped extending assistance to farmers, in a development that will knock down output of the ‘’white gold’’. National chairman of the Cotton Producers and Marketers Association Mr Steward Mubonderi said their production capacity had been drastically dropping over the years owing to supply of inadequate inputs by private cotton firms.

He said at the moment, farmers were in the dark about whether the private firms would extend support to them this year or not. “Farmers have been producing poorly due to inadequate inputs that came from private companies,” he said. “From our recent engagements with AMA so far, only two companies have registered to finance us this year.

“We call upon all cotton financing companies to quickly inform us about their position regarding financial extension in the coming farming season because we cannot continue to wait in the dark.”

A new player in the cotton financing industry, Southern Cotton Company (SCC) and the Government-owned Cotton Company of Zimbabwe have already started distributing inputs countrywide. SCC managing director Mr Caos Nzenze said they will finance farmers to put 20 000 hectares under cotton in the coming season.

Chipinge South Member of Parliament Cde Enock Porusingazi said most cotton farmers were uncertain about their future, particularly those who were growing the crop under contract last season. He said it was important for the firms to inform farmers early about their position to enable the latter to seek alternative financing.

“Not all farmers grow cotton with Cottco, if you move in areas like Checheche, Chiredzi, Gokwe, Muzarabani, Rutenga among other areas, we had companies like ETG Parrogate, Olam, China Africa who financed last year. We are very unsettled by news that some companies are not financing (cotton production) this year, their traditional clients are asking whether the companies have abandoned them or not because the farming season is already with us and most farmers are still waiting for inputs,” said Cde Porusingazi.

Cde Porusingazi said companies were citing the unfavourable operating environment for their decision to stop financing cotton farmers this )year.

“It’s wise for companies to engage AMA over the operating environment,” he said. “We don’t want to create a monopoly of Cottco. We want companies to be many as it gives the farmer the competitive advantage on his produce.”

Cde Porusingazi said hundreds of jobs will be lost, particularly in the southern region if cotton production went down, with workers employed at ginneries and buying points going out of employment.