Category: zimbabwe

Precious Manomano Herald Reporter

Government has proposed cotton production and marketing arrangements that will enhance accountability, improve grower viability and reduce side marketing, improving the operating environment of contractors while constantly growing the cotton sector.

The measures will be implemented with immediate effect to expand the crop volume for 2023 season.

These include increasing climate proofing in cotton production and improving genetics and all cotton inputs will be delivered by cotton contractors and distributed at a common distribution point.

Speaking at a press conference on proposed cotton production enhancement and marketing arrangements and marketing arrangements for the 2023/24 season Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said the modalities will increase value addition and beneficiation of the transformation of rural communities.

”The transformation of the cotton sector depends on the viability of the grower. The sustenance of transformation is underpinned by grower viability but to do so, we must be disciplined at all levels; at grower level, at contractor level, at Government level, at stakeholder level and partner level. We have seen examples in tobacco where discipline augurs well for value chain financing. We now need to increase production,’’ said Dr Masuka.

Stakeholders have indicated that farmers’ viability is only guaranteed by the participation of the farmer in value addition, primarily ginning and oil seed crushing to manufacture oil and animal feed stocks.

Cotton Council of Zimbabwe Trust chief executive officer Eng Christopher Murove said cotton farmers therefore need to produce free cotton which they can then gin as their own crop either through toll-ginning arrangements or by using their own farm gate ginning facilities.

”Allowing and enabling free cotton farmers to add value to their “free cotton” through ginning, oil seed crushing, will enhance the ability of these farmers to easily pay back their loans to the financiers.,’’ he said.

Conrad Mupesa Mashonaland West Bureau

A fifty-year-old Chinhoyi man, Bwanali Bwanando who was being sought by police for allegedly killing his wife on November 7 has been arrested.

Bwanando was on the run since the murder he is suspected to have committed after catching red-handed his wife Chioneso Ephraim (41) with her boyfriend on their matrimonial bed.

He was arrested at his Musengi Farm on Tuesday by detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

He is said to have made calls to relatives of the deceased woman indicating that he was on his way to Zambia.

He has been using his farm house as a hide out during the night while he spent the day in the nearby bush.

He was taken by the detectives to the crime scene yesterday to demonstrate how he committed the murder.

Bwanando murdered his wife in the presence of their maid.

He let the alleged boyfriend leave unharmed.

The two, who had been married for close to 15 years with two children, have had issues, with Bwanando accusing his wife of promiscuity.

The accused is expected in court today.