Zimbabwe has been predicted to experience another good cotton harvest in 2013 as figures from the Cotton Ginners’ Association (CGA) have revealed that more than 8,000 tonnes of seed have already been sold ahead of the next season
According to the CGA, a national organisation that represents cotton merchants, its statistics show that an estimated 8,200 tonnes of seed have been purchased to date. The figure is close to the same amount of the seed that had been sold this time last season, which has led the CGA to forecast a substantial cotton harvest for next year.
A CGA official said, "We are on course for a good harvest. A lot is happening in the fields and we are quite impressed with the seed uptake. With good rains, we are likely to have good yields.
"Our main focus is on enhancing yields and quality to counter potential low international prices.
“Our members have responded to this cause by deploying more field officers to impart knowledge to farmers on viable farming practices to achieve good yields," the official added.
Cotton produced this year in Zimbabwe amounted to a total of 340,000 tonnes, which is just shy of the record production of 353,000 tonnes recorded in 2000.
Last year, contractors injected US$34mn into funding Zimbabwean cotton production through different contract farming programmes.
