Zimbabwe is expecting about 80,000 tonnes of cotton from farmers in the 2015 /2016 season according to the latest Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) weekly Market Guide as farmers continue to negotiate for better deals.

The Guide informs that merchants have already started buying cotton at the common collection points with prices averaging 36 cents per kilogramme, a price which may change if farmers are allowed to have their way at the bargaining table.

“The 2016 cotton marketing season is currently in progress. Total production for the 2015 /2016 season is estimated at between 70 000 and 80 000 tonnes.

“In terms of prices for the commodity, Cotton Ginners Association (CGA) members are paying an advance payment of 36 cents and Cottco is paying 35 cents,” reads the market guide.

ZFU said companies such as Alliance, Sino Zim, ETG, Grafax, China Africa Cotton Ginners Association are under the CGA.

“The price continues to be negotiated between farmers and ginners and farmers are being paid according to the grade of their cotton seed, hence the price adjustments will be paid after grading,” said ZFU.
Farmers are complaining over the cotton producer prices, which they said were not viable. The farmers said some of the contractors did not give adequate inputs.

Bindura farmer Mr Batsirayi Musanhu said farmers had lost trust in ginnersΆ paying adjustments.

“We expected higher prices than the prices we are getting. The buyers said they will give us an adjustment at the end after the crop would have been graded.

“Last season the same thing happened. We were promised adjustments, but we never got anything. I hope buyers will be fair to pay firm prices that will enable farmers to go back to the land,” he said.

Cotton production has declined over the past years due to viability challenges.

Contractors complained of side marketing while farmers said buyers were offering low prices.

Government had to intervene last year by assisting cotton growers with inputs under the Presidential Inputs Scheme.