Published: 21 November 2013

The Cotton Company of Zimbabwe is looking to partner local and foreign companies in the beneficiation of cotton to promote higher producer prices for farmers.

Addressing members of the National Assembly from cotton growing areas in Harare yesterday, Cottco managing director Mr David Machingaidze said his company was in the process of engaging experts in the textile industry who will advise on the due processes.

"We are looking at two aspects in the process of cotton beneficiation. The first is mostly partnerships with local oil expressers who already have the capacity to crush seed but are not fully utilising it.

"Instead of selling raw seed what we want to do is to crush it so that the revenues come back to Cottco which in turn would allow us to offer better producer prices," he said.

The issue of pricing has been a sore point in the cotton industry, with farmers remaining resolute in their push for higher prices while ginners argue that cotton prices are determined internationally forcing them to pay lower prices.

Last season, farmers were forced to withhold their crop to force ginners to increase cotton prices but in the end, most farmers had to sell a 200kg bale of cotton for as little as $60.

The move to add value cotton seed would mean better producer prices for farmers and employment creation for locals in line with the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation.
- bh24

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