The 2021 Cotton marketing season has kicked off today and cotton farmers will this season be paid $85 per kilogramme.
There are 359 permanent cotton buying points and 413 mobile cotton buying points that have been established countrywide for buying purposes.
In terms of Statutory instrument 96 of 2021, cotton must be delivered to designated agents which are Cottco, Southern Cotton Company, Zimbabwe cotton Consortium, Alliance Ginners and ShawashAgri.
Meanwhile government recently assured cotton farmers that they will get their outstanding payments from last marketing season by May 31.
Cottco owes farmers $1, 5 billion from last season with the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Anxious Masuka confirming that payments will be settled by end of this month.
The Ministry has warned farmers against side marketing and urged them to deliver cotton to their respective contractors. Buyers who did not contract cotton production were also warned not to buy the crop.
Cotton Producers and Marketers Association chairman Mr Stewart Mubonderi recently said this year’s price was viable but also meant an increase in the Government subsidy if the price of the commodity is suppressed on the international market.
The post Cotton marketing season kicks off appeared first on ZBC NEWS.