Cotton board seeks govt support in contract farming

Tanzania Cotton Board (TCB)

BY STELLA JIMMY
Tanzania Cotton Board (TCB) has called on the government to support contract farming Initiative as it is the best way by which farmers can tap into the benefits that come with growing the crop.

The statement was made by TCB’s acting Director General, Gabriel Mwalo in an exclusive interview with The Guardian recently.

“Since TCB is entrusted with promoting growth of production, processing and marketing of Tanzania cotton; it is its responsibility to see that farmers benefit from the crop production,” he said.

He said that there is a lot of untapped potential in contract farming but lack of stringent regulation coupled with lack of adequate support from the government deters investors from pouring much needed cash into the system.

“It is high time the government looked into problems affecting contract farming with emphasis on cotton rather than dilly dally on implementation on the government policy,” he said.

He said the government should now come in and create an enabling environment that ensures the development and sustainability of the farmer and contract farming at large.

“Large investors need farmers to supply them with cotton to feed their ginneries, while farmers need investors for capital to run their farms and increase yields. If the government steps in and regulates contract farming it would be a win –win situation.” he emphasised.

He said that to date, an acre of land produces roughly 250-300kg of cotton, therefore, government’s support in terms of addressing the problems, would increase steadily the production to 1200-1500kg per acre.

Among the problems, according to the TCB boss, are uncertified cotton seeds, farmers using little or no fertilisers as well as little utility of pesticides and lack of farming machinery as main reasons for stagnating cotton yields in the country.

Tanzania earned USD159.3 ml (about Sh254.4 bn) from cotton exports during the year 2012 to June 2013, according to Bank of Tanzania’s Monthly Economic Review for July 2013.

Currently, Tanzania is Africa’s fourth-largest producer of cotton after Mali, Burkina Faso and Egypt, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) figures.
But TCB believes if its efforts of raising production to 1500kg per acre of land is achieved, then the country should move some steps forward.

Tanzania’s cotton production surged 57 per cent last year from 225,000 tones produced in 2011, helped by the introduction of contract farming across the country following a three-year pilot program in the northwestern Mara region.

“Under the system, farmers agreed with buyers to supply specific quantities and qualities of the crop, and farmers gained access to credit for inputs such as pesticides,” Mwalo said.

“This eliminates the need for agents and local lenders to facilitate relationships between growers and buyers,” he added.

In September last year, the government insisted that farmers enter into contract farming as it is best strategy in boosting cotton production, therefore, it should fully back the contract farming with prompt action so that cotton exports may rise and benefit farmers.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN