Cotton is an essential cash crop

In his State of the Nation address, President Mugabe, mentioned that there is really need to consider revitalizing the agricultural sector and the agro-processing industries as a major strategy of reviving the economy.

Normally cash crop farming is for making profits. It is also called commercial farming, as it is a farming venture in which cash crops are grown. Cash crops are those which are produced for the purpose of generating cash or money. The products are therefore intended to be marketed for profit.

Just like other cash crops such as tobacco, barley, wheat, corn, soybeans, tea and coffee that are marketed to generate revenue, cotton should also be considered as an important crop. Agriculture is a great enabler of improving the country's economy.

It is of paramount importance to note that all parts of the cotton plant are useful. The most important is the fiber or lint, which is used in making cotton cloth. Linters, the short fur on the seed provide cellulose for making plastics and other products. Linters also are incorporated into high quality paper products and processed into batting for padding mattresses, furniture and cushions.

In recent years Zimbabwe had been ranked among the ten largest cotton producers in Africa. Cotton was once termed the 'white gold' as it generated revenue which assisted in boosting the Gross Domestic Product.

 It is heartening that this year the Government has considered empowering cotton producers through giving them farming inputs. The farming inputs will be distributed under the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme. Crop production depends upon crucial inputs such as good seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, human labour and management. Most farmers in communal areas have been facing big challenges in purchasing cotton inputs. This is because cotton plants require much attention than other crops. It is said that the beneficiaries will receive cotton seed, fertilizers as well as spraying chemicals. However, the falling of cotton producer prices in previous years has been affecting the production of cotton. Most cotton farmers had been complaining about the producer price which there said was too low. To encourage more farmers to produce this cash crop, the responsible authorities should consider revising the producer prices.

There is also need for the Government and the private players to regard revamping the textile industry. This is in tandem with Zim-Asset which advocates for value addition of local resources. It is imperative for the local textile industry to process and make their clothing materials. By producing local material, the prices of clothes and clothing material will be slashed.

People have been importing clothing material from countries like Tanzania and Zambia at high costs. Some of the clothing material namely Java and Dashiki imported from Tanzania had been getting good sales from local consumers. The same can also happen to Zimbabwean textile industries if cotton producers increases and improves their quality of cotton produce.

India's economy is agro-based and agriculture is its mainstay as it constitutes the backbone of its rural livelihood security system. Agriculture has been and still continues to be the life line of the Indian economy, cotton being the major crop. However, the same crop can also lift the Zimbabwean economy to greater heights.