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By Wallace Mawire
At a time smallholder farmers globally and especially in Africa are clamouring for favourable market prices for the cotton crop, Zimbabwe will today (7 October 2022) join other countries globally in commemorating World Cotton Day.
The Cotton Company of Zimbabwe will host the world cotton day conference in Harare.
The conference is expected to be graced by Hon Vangelis Haritatos, Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development including a representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Some of the issues to be deliberated on at the conference will include farmer viability, cotton varieties advancements, weather
forecasts in relation to cotton growing, facilitation of cotton production and marketing, and cotton as an agent for rural development and industrialisation.
Other issues will include opportunities for cotton-to-clothing trading under the COMESA-AFT EU frameworks, value chain financing, and value addition.
Cotton prices are reported to have been falling over the years on the international market, meaning farmers depending on the crop either in Zimbabwe or elsewhere have not been spared.