Lincoln Towindo

Vice-President Mujuru has warned cotton ginners who are refusing to buy the crop at the Government-gazetted price that they risk having their operating licences revoked.

Addressing hundreds of villagers at the official opening of Chitse Clinic in Mt Dar­win yesterday, she said Government is con­sidering switching the selling of the crop to an auction-based system similar to the tobacco trading system to avoid stalemates between farmers and ginners.

“I hear that ginners are saying they cannot afford to pay the prices that were gazetted last month, but we see this as a way to coerce farmers into selling cheaply so that the gin­ners can make super profits,” she said.

“We are saying as Government, cotton should be sold through the auction system, similar to the one used in selling tobacco.

“Let me warn the ginners who are refusing to buy the product at the gazetted price that if they continue on that path, they risk losing their licences.”
Following an impasse between buyers and farmers over a viable price for the crop, Gov­ernment intervened and announced a mini­mum cotton price of US$0,77 per kg of Grade D, while the price for Grade A was pegged at US$0,84.

Initially, buyers were offering US$0,29 per kg. Cde Mujuru also told the gathering that Government will reintroduce the Food and Nutrition Security Programme to help feed people in areas affected by poor harvests.
She said under the programme, which was initially introduced in 1998, excess grain har­vested from other provinces will be distrib­uted to needy areas.

“We have areas that did not harvest well and people in those areas will get sick easily.
“That is why Government introduced the Food and Nutrition Security Programme back in 1998,” she said.
“Over the last two months, Government reintroduced the programme which will see the introduction of ward-based food banks.

“Locals will be allowed to deposit their grain into these facilities.
“They can also bor­row, buy or swap on the back of their grain deposit in the banks.”
Chitse Clinic was built by the Mudze-                  n­gerere and Chitse communities with the assistance of Red Graniti-Roserock Mine which mines granite in the area.

Speaking at the same event, Red Graniti managing director Mr Yves-Marc Chavert said the initiative was a result of co-opera­tion between the company and the commu­nity.
“Chitse Clinic is a symbol of the good rela­tions and spirit of co-operation that we pro­mote and share with the good people of this community and other stakeholders nation­ally.
“We hope that the clinic will make a mean­ingful contribution to national devel­opment and that this facility will benefit gen­erations to come,” said Mr Chavert.