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Tawanda Mangoma in CHECHECHE
Cotton farmers here have promised to rally behind President Mnangagwa to ensure he gets a resounding victory in the forthcoming harmonised elections.

They said the Zanu-PF presidential candidate deserved a five-year mandate at the helm of the country to continue advancing his pro-people policies, which saw his administration intensifying the revival of the cotton industry that had virtually collapsed three years ago.

The farmers singled out the Zanu-PF Government’s introduction of the Presidential Free Cotton Inputs Support Scheme, saying the programme being implemented by the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco) was supporting nearly 90 000 farmers under the firm’s Southern Region Business Unit.

Speaking to The Herald during a tour in cotton-growing areas in the Lowveld, a cotton farmer, Mr Patrick Ndlovu of Mtandabwe Business Centre in Chipinge South said many communal farmers had abandoned cotton production owing to poor prices and high input costs.

“This crop (cotton) was our tobacco from late 1990’s up to the late 2000. We relied on the crop to pay school fees, buy scotch carts, food among other goods and services but all that glitter disappeared forcing many farmers here to abandon it between 2008 and 2014.”

“I never thought I would grow cotton again but when Government introduced the (Presidential Free Cotton) Inputs Scheme I changed my mind last season after being satisfied with the way the programme was being co-ordinated,” said Mr Ndlovu.

This was also corroborated by another farmer, Mr Gilbert Muyambo of Chinyamukwakwa Business Centre in Chipinge South, who paid tribute to the Zanu PF Government for supporting cotton farmers with inputs.

He urged President Mnangagwa’s administration to support cotton farming under irrigation to cushion farmers from recurrent droughts caused by climate change.

“What more do you want when a President puts in place programs that assist farmers with free inputs such as fertiliser, chemicals, knapsack sprays, bicycles and diesel for tillage among other benefits?

“The only way to thank President Mnangagwa and protect the booming cotton industry is by voting for him to remain in power so that he continues to develop the industry,” said  Mr Muyambo.

“The majority of cotton farmers here have already made a position that they will vote for President Mnangagwa because he is putting the economy ahead of politics.

“For our economy to grow, we need more support from Government in the production of crops like cotton that earn the country more foreign currency through exports.”