Zimbabwean cotton farmers have delivered more than 25 million kilogrammes of seed cotton to six registered contractors so far this season, reflecting a sharp 90 percent increase from the 13 million kilogrammes sold during the same period in 2024. The data, released by the Agricultural and Marketing Authority (AMA), covers deliveries up to July 24 and signals a major boost in output as the marketing season nears its end.
Despite this growth, AMA has warned that the country may fall short of its forecasted 60 million kilogrammes of seed cotton. The authority is currently assessing cotton availability across various production zones to determine which common buying points might require an extension of the marketing period. Deliveries are reportedly tapering off in key areas such as the Zambezi Valley and Gokwe, and industry insiders believe that less than 10 million kilogrammes remain in the hands of farmers.
While volumes have improved, the quality of cotton grades has declined compared to last year. AMA reported that only five percent of the ginned cotton fell into the higher-grade categories, with just one percent classified as Grade A and four percent as Grade B. This contrasts with last year's eight percent combined share of these top grades. The bulk of this season's cotton, approximately 95 percent, has been graded as C and D, with Grade D alone accounting for 57 percent and Grade C making up 38 percent of the intake.
In terms of lint production, around 1.2 million kilogrammes had been produced by July 22. Of this, only five percent (65,423 kg) was classified as good middling, the highest quality level, while the remaining 1.17 million kilogrammes fell under strict middling. This marks a slight improvement from last year when 100 percent of the lint produced was strictly middling, which is considered a standard quality.
On the market front, Cottco has emerged as the leading buyer, having acquired 14.73 million kilogrammes of seed cotton, which represents 58 percent of the total intake so far. The company was followed by Alliance Ginneries, Southern Cotton, Agri Value Chain, Cangrow, and the Zimbabwe Cotton Consortium in terms of market share.
Cottco acting chief executive, Rockie Mutenha, stated that his organisation has sufficient financial resources and is paying farmers promptly in cash. He also dismissed reports suggesting that the company was struggling to pay growers, noting that they had recently increased their buying price from US$0.30 to US$0.32 per kilogramme. Mutenha encouraged farmers to continue delivering to Cottco, describing the company as "their all-weather friend."
He added that the company was efficiently moving seed cotton from buying points to ginneries and that transporters were being paid promptly upon submission of invoices. Cottco funded 109,362 hectares of cotton production this season and expects to help contribute toward the national output target of 61 million kilogrammes, which is based on the total 122,493 hectares planted across the country.
Currently, seed cotton deliveries stand at 41 percent of the projected total, with hopes that more farmers will bring in their remaining stocks before the close of the season.
- The Herald
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