Masuka proposes jail for cotton side marketers

Agriculture minister Dr Anxious Masuka has side that jail terms should be imposed on cotton side marketers and fines are proving not to be enough deterrents.

“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,” said Dr Masuka in his speech at the launch of the 2023 cotton marketing season in Mahuwe earlier this week.

Dr Masuka said farmers should be paid fairly and on time to encourage compliance with grade A priced at $0,46c per kg and farmers getting 85 percent in foreign currency and 15 percent in local currency at the prevailing rate on the day of payment.

“Government is doing well in remembering farmers in rural areas. This season l want to increase the hectares. I sold 20 bales so far and I was given all my money, no later payments,” Mr Never Kahondo of Zhangumwa village said.

“Prices are fair. I was given all my money. …... This is my first time to be given cash just after delivery,” said Mr Shuma Matope of Pabandi village in Mahuwe.

Farmers have previously cited unsustainable prices and late payments as drivers of side marketing.

Dr Masuka said his ministry and its implementing agency the Agricultural Marketing Authority have several measures to curtail side marketing.

“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.”

He also said government is effectively supporting the six contracted companies registered to grow cotton this year.

“We have 616 points of cotton buying countrywide. AMA workers will be verifying the processes and also making sure that they (farmers) are selling their crop to the correct contractors who helped them with inputs.”

The cotton production industry is in recovery after it as good as died when private merchants stopped financing farmers due to poor debt recovery.

152 000 tonnes are expected this season from a record low of 28 000 tonnes in 2014 against a record peak of 351 000 tonnes in 2011.

Nearly 350 000 farmers were contracted to grow cotton under the Presidential Inputs Scheme last year and planted about 250 000 hectares.

Dr Masuka encouraged farmers to increase production to meet government’s target of 300 000 tonnes by 2025.

Dr Masuka said government is targeting to install machineries to process cotton seeds into cooking oil in cotton growing areas such as Gokwe, Checheche and Mahuwe by August this year.