The fining of those who side market cotton is not enough to deter the practice, with jail being a better option, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka has said.
Speaking during the launch of the 2023 cotton marketing
season in Mahuwe on Monday, Dr Masuka said individuals or companies engaged in
the side marketing of cotton should be liable to imprisonment, as the
Government moved to protect one of the country’s foreign currency earners and
source of livelihood for many Zimbabweans.
“Last year, seven side marketing breaches were recorded
with the culprits being fined over US$10 000,” he said.
“In terms of the deterrent measures, we must go beyond this
and make side marketing a criminal offense. Jail is the only effective way to
curb this practice.”
Side-marketing is a form of contract default where a
contracted cotton grower sells his or her crop to a third party in breach of a
legally binding contractual agreement which states that contracted cotton shall
only be sold to or bought by the licensed contractor who provided inputs to
such a grower.
“My ministry, through the Agricultural Marketing Authority,
continues to implement measures to curb side marketing,” said Dr Masuka.
“These include the Memorandum of Agreement by all
contractors for the establishment of cotton buying points, maintenance of good
business practices and registers of each contractor at each buying point.
“Last year, seven side marketing breaches were recorded
with the culprits being fined over US$10 000. In terms of the deterrent
measures, we must go beyond this and make side marketing a criminal offense.
Jail is the only effective way to curb this practice.”
Side marketing almost collapsed the cotton industry in 2013
after private merchants stopped financing farmers due to poor debt recovery.
In 2014, output dropped to 28 000 tonnes, the lowest in
nearly two decades.
The Government intervened by providing farmers with free
inputs under the scheme known as Presidential Free Inputs programme.
Dr Masuka emphasised that farmers should get a decent
return and timely payment for their commodity.
Unlike the previous seasons when some farmers were not paid
on time; growers were receiving their payments upon delivery of their crop this
season.
Dr Masuka urged farmers to increase hectares in cotton
farming.
Government wants more ginneries and oil expressing plants
nearer farmers, and a third spinning company to take up more of the lint to
ensure value addition in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
He said in August, they were targeting to install
machineries to process cotton seeds into cooking oil in cotton growing areas
such as Gokwe, Checheche and Mahuwe.
Nearly 350 000 farmers were contracted to grow cotton under
the Presidential Inputs Scheme last year and planted about 250 000 hectares and
152 000 tonnes are expected this season.
Running for the eighth straight season, the State-assisted
scheme has seen cotton production recovering.
More than 360 000 farmers benefited from free inputs under
the scheme, running for eight consecutive years.
Under the scheme, farmers get free basal and top dressing
fertiliser, seed as well as chemicals. The State-assisted scheme has seen an
average of 300 000 households receiving free inputs.
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution
Senator Monica Mavhunga said Government’s effort to drill boreholes and dam
construction has helped a lot to improve people’s livelihoods.
“We are happy that here in Mbire , Government is
constructing Dande Dam, Bindura Dam and Semwa Dam. All these efforts will help
to upgrade people’s standards of living. We are also grateful of the Pfumvudza
programme. That’s why last season we made an improvement in farming programmes
compared to the other seasons,” she said.
Agriculture Marketing Authority (AMA) chief executive Mr
Clever Isaya said it was critical for farmers to grow crops according to their
ecological regions, adding that this will help to improve productivity levels.
He said that side marketing should not be tolerated this
season adding that grade A will be costing $0,46c per kg.
This season farmers will be paid 85 percent in foreign
currency and 15 percent will be paid in local currency on the prevailing rate
on the day of payment.
Six contracted companies have registered to grow cotton
this year.
“We have 300 000 cotton growers we have registered this
season,” Mr Isaya. Herald
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