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COTTON PRICE UP BY 5 CENTS

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MBABANE – Eswatini Cotton Board has announced an increase in the purchasing price of the commodity by at least five cents.


Yesterday (June 1) marked the commencement of the 2020 cotton buying season. The Board has increased the price from E6.15 to E6.20 per kg.
This translates to E6 200 per ton of cotton. Minister of Agriculture Jabulani Mabuza confirmed the latest developments in his address during the launch of the 2020 cotton harvesting at Nisela Farm in Big Bend on Thursday.


In his address, the minister commended the Board for considering the increase in the purchasing price and the reduction in the levy at a time when many industries in the world were facing challenges. The levy has been reduced from 12 to 11 cents.


Challenges


“This shows that the Board is alive to the COVID-19 challenges which the nation is battling with,” noted the minister.
The minister highlighted that the cotton industry was contributing positively to the Eswatini economy for the past decades but decried the gradual decrease caused by drought and low prices.


“Cotton farmers have continued to endeavour under the hard conditions in an effort to sustain their livelihood.
“The ministry’s strategic plan has emphasised to increase cotton production under irrigation and to make full use of the ginnery. Last year an area of 235 hectares was under irrigated cotton.


 I’m happy to note that there has been a slight increase in the last cropping season to 450 hectares. This increase has prompted stakeholders in the industry to embark on mechanical harvesting due to labour scarcity,” said the minister.


On the day the minister, on behalf of government, launched the inaugural machine picking of cotton in the country. This is the first-of-its kind since the country attained independence in 1968.
“Government is in full support of new strategies to revive the industry.
“Governement is looking forward to seeing the cotton ginnery operating to full capacity in the near future,” he said.
The minister, on the other hand, conceded that government was fully aware that the cotton industry was waiting for the amendment of the Biosafety Bill of 2019, a document that has been tabled in the House of Assembly.


Amendment


“Had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic, one hopes that this amendment would have gone through by now,” said the minister.
Meanwhile, cotton is one of the major cash crops for farmers in the dry middleveld and Lowveld of the country.
It is said to be a source of livelihoods for more than 30 000 emaSwati and provides employment to seasonal and permanent employees in the primary value chain of production.


The spinning and oil production mills located in the country also add to employment opportunities in the cotton value chain. Over 575 emaSwati are said to be employed in these industries.


One of the ways government has supported the industry has been through provision of resources for the Cotton Revolving Fund, which assists farmers in their production requirements.


“May I request the Board and all stakeholders to strengthen the industry to a level where government funding will no longer be a necessity. It is important that all value chains should be profitable to the farmer,” he said.

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