The Sunday Mail
Cotton is life for Gokwe.
Consider this: it is the only settlement in Zimbabwe ever to be upgraded from a rural service centre into a fully-fledged town on the back of its cotton revenues.
But a combination of poor cotton prices, reduced public and private sector investment in the crop, and an influx of cheap textiles imports almost killed the sector — and Gokwe.
No longer were Nembudziya, Nemangwe, Kana and Chireya alive with the buzz of commerce.
As recently as last year, cotton looked to be, as national production plummeted to 30 000 tonnes, Zimbabwe’s lowest output since records started being kept.
The grandiose boast of “King Cotton” could not be heard, no one spoke of white gold anymore.
Now cotton is coming back, and Gokwe is reawakening.
Through the Presidential Cotton Free Inputs Programme, over 6 000 tonnes of cotton seed and basal fertiliser were distributed to farmers across Zimbabwe.
The inputs were enough to cover over 300 000 hectares of land.
Coupled with the good rains during the 2016/17 summer cropping season, farmers are anticipating a good cotton crop.
Official projections show that Gokwe South alone will harvest over US$20 million worth of cotton this year, and other parts of Midlands province and other cotton-growing areas are also talking excitedly about the return of the glory days.
All the attention has naturally been on the expected bumper maize and small grains crop, and as such few have noticed the quiet cotton revolution that promises to uplift livelihoods in rural Zimbabwe.
Lives are being changed by the white gold.
Mr Stanley Manyiwa, who operates several shops at Gokwe Centre, told The Sunday Mail last week that business had improved with the onset of cotton sales.
He said: “Due to the low prices that were being offered for the crop on the market and unavailability of inputs, many farmers began experimenting with different crops including tobacco and maize.
“With the support farmers have had from Government this year, things are already begging to shift and business is already improving for some of us.
‘‘Many shops at Gokwe Centre had closed down but business is beginning to pick up and some have reopened.”
The Cottco ginnery close to Gokwe Centre is operating at close to 100 percent capacity. The depot is processing close to 80 tonnes of cotton a day into lint and other by-products.
Scores of haulage trucks wait their turn to off-load the hundreds of bales that are daily delivered to the ginnery run by the State-controlled Cottco.
Dozens of new employees have been contracted to assist with the deliveries coming in at a fast and furious pace.
Two work shifts are now normal as buyers try to absorb the huge cotton haul that is coming there way, and there is talk of a third shift that could see Cottco opening its ginnery well into the night.
Indications are that buyers expect deliveries this year to continue until mid–August.
In previous years, hardly anyone was delivering cotton after June.
Bad roads in Gokwe are, however, hampering quick delivery of the crop as some areas remain inaccessible and transport operators are unwilling to have their vehicles venture deep into the district.
But with cotton selling for a minimum USc47/kg for the lowest grade, farmers are smiling all the way to the bank.
Farmers who spoke to The Sunday Mail said they were happy with the payment system as they were getting a combination of cash payments and deposits into their bank or mobile money accounts.
Mr Emmanuel Gwatiringa, who farms in the Zambezi area, said the Presidential Cotton Free Inputs Programme gave him enough resources to plant on two hectares of land.
He said though much of his crop was destroyed by the heavy rains he has reaped a much improved harvest owing to the support he has received.
“I am very grateful for the inputs I received from Government last year; without that help I do not think I would have been able to farm,” said Mr Gwatiringa. “The prices are good and I am grateful that I will be able to make a living for my family.”
Mrs Rosewinter Manjova, a farmer from the Ganye area under chief Nemangwe, said Government’s support was key to her success this year.
“While we have received support from Government in previous years, the support we got last year was different and has changed our lives.
‘‘Already I have sold two bales and I am very satisfied with the price.
‘‘We only hope that this kind of support will continue into the future,” she said. Welcome back King Cotton, welcome back Gokwe.
