Cotton growers and buyers in the lake zone stand to suffer
substantial losses this year due to drought that has adversely impacted on the
production of the cash crop.
Although almost all cotton ginners are in business crisis due to acute shortage of seed cotton, cotton buyers who snubbed the contract farming system are the hardest hit.
"There is a cotton scramble here as cotton buyers jostle for the little produce available," Head of Agriculture Department in Bunda District Council Serapion Rujuguru told the Daily News in Bunda recently, noting that besides the bad weather, the collapse of contract farming has had a negative impact on cotton production in the district.
He said the district's cotton production peaked in the 2008/09 season with 14,311 metric tonnes thanks to contract farming, but production has since been dropping, with this year's estimates put at 5,000 tonnes mainly due to unfavourable weather and failing contract farming.
"During the good days of contract farming system, farmers used to get agricultural inputs on credit but now they have to buy on cash," said Mr Rujuguru, arguing that few of the rural people can afford to maintain an acre of cotton on cash basis. Even farmers who have been adhering to good farming practices have this season bowed to unfriendly weather.
"This is the worst year I have never seen since I started growing cotton," said Mr Mugole Lusungura, a cotton grower in Bunda's Guta Ward.
According to Mr Lusungura, he normally harvests averagely 1,270 kilogrammes of seed cotton per acre but he has managed only 900 kilogrammes from his three acres this season.
"It is very disappointing but that is how rain reliant farming activities are--very risky," he said with concern.
He however blamed the problem on the collapse of contract farming, saying although drought has had it toll on the production, unreliable access to farming inputs has exacerbated the problem.
"Frankly speaking, there has been no contract farming in Bunda this season," he charged blaming the collapse of the otherwise beneficial system on politics.
S&C Ginnery's Kinyambwiga-based agent Criford Majura described the crop buying season as terrible, saying he had by last week procured only 34,190 kilogrammes against the 132,000 he had last year.
"The season has almost ended and I do not think if I will get even 50,000 kgs," said Mr Majura, hinting that in good seasons he buys between 200,000 and 300,000 kilogrammes.
The government through Tanzania Cotton Board (TCB) in 2007 embarked on pilot contract farming in Mara's three districts of Serengeti, Bunda and Musoma Rural to help cotton growers to boost production through timely supply of inputs and guaranteed markets.
The system however collapsed despite its potential benefits to both farmers and ginners due to what stakeholders describe as vested interests.
Although almost all cotton ginners are in business crisis due to acute shortage of seed cotton, cotton buyers who snubbed the contract farming system are the hardest hit.
"There is a cotton scramble here as cotton buyers jostle for the little produce available," Head of Agriculture Department in Bunda District Council Serapion Rujuguru told the Daily News in Bunda recently, noting that besides the bad weather, the collapse of contract farming has had a negative impact on cotton production in the district.
He said the district's cotton production peaked in the 2008/09 season with 14,311 metric tonnes thanks to contract farming, but production has since been dropping, with this year's estimates put at 5,000 tonnes mainly due to unfavourable weather and failing contract farming.
"During the good days of contract farming system, farmers used to get agricultural inputs on credit but now they have to buy on cash," said Mr Rujuguru, arguing that few of the rural people can afford to maintain an acre of cotton on cash basis. Even farmers who have been adhering to good farming practices have this season bowed to unfriendly weather.
"This is the worst year I have never seen since I started growing cotton," said Mr Mugole Lusungura, a cotton grower in Bunda's Guta Ward.
According to Mr Lusungura, he normally harvests averagely 1,270 kilogrammes of seed cotton per acre but he has managed only 900 kilogrammes from his three acres this season.
"It is very disappointing but that is how rain reliant farming activities are--very risky," he said with concern.
He however blamed the problem on the collapse of contract farming, saying although drought has had it toll on the production, unreliable access to farming inputs has exacerbated the problem.
"Frankly speaking, there has been no contract farming in Bunda this season," he charged blaming the collapse of the otherwise beneficial system on politics.
S&C Ginnery's Kinyambwiga-based agent Criford Majura described the crop buying season as terrible, saying he had by last week procured only 34,190 kilogrammes against the 132,000 he had last year.
"The season has almost ended and I do not think if I will get even 50,000 kgs," said Mr Majura, hinting that in good seasons he buys between 200,000 and 300,000 kilogrammes.
The government through Tanzania Cotton Board (TCB) in 2007 embarked on pilot contract farming in Mara's three districts of Serengeti, Bunda and Musoma Rural to help cotton growers to boost production through timely supply of inputs and guaranteed markets.
The system however collapsed despite its potential benefits to both farmers and ginners due to what stakeholders describe as vested interests.
Source: Tanzania
Daily News
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