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Lovemore Zigara, Business Correspondent
THE area planted under cotton from the Presidential Input Support Scheme has this summer cropping season improved by 28.3 percent to 385 000 hectares.

Last year, the hectarage under the white gold through the Presidential Input Support Scheme stood at 300 000ha with the country generating 100 000 tonnes of cotton.

Leading agro-based industrial company, Cottco distributes the inputs to cotton farmers across the country on behalf of the Government under the Presidential Input Support Scheme.

The firm’s managing director Mr Pious Manamike said the programme has been going on very well with all inputs under the first tranche of seed and basal fertiliser having been distributed to enable farmers to plant.

“This year the cotton hectarage has been increased to 385 000ha where we are supporting each farmer with all the necessary inputs covering one ha. This therefore means we have increased the number of farmers from 150 000 in 2017 to 300 000 this year,” he said.

“Distribution of inputs is ongoing at the moment and we are doing the second tranche of distribution where we are giving out top dressing fertiliser and chemicals. The first tranche of inputs supply involving the distribution of seed and basal fertiliser has already been completed,” said Mr Manamike.

Cotton Producers and Marketers Association chairman Mr Clemence Gondo said there was a need for Government to expedite the distribution of chemicals as delaying may compromise the quality of the crop.

“We are happy that farmers have received the inputs under the first phase but we are now calling on the Government to expedite the distribution of the second tranche of the inputs as further delays may compromise the quality of the cotton.

“This is the time when farmers should be applying chemicals but up to now some farmers are still to receive the chemicals,” said Mr Gondo.

Cotton is the third major cash crop in Zimbabwe after tobacco and sugarcane and is grown by thousands of smallholder farmers in areas such as Gokwe, Guruve, Nkayi, Rushinga, Murehwa and Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe. The cotton sector is on a rebound after the Government started supporting smallholder farmers and buying the commodity on a cost recovery basis.

The firming of cotton prices on the world market has also spurred growth in the sector.

Zimbabwe’s cotton output is yet to recover to its peak of 353 000 tonnes in 2000. — @lavuzigara1