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Government has urged players in the cotton industry to participate in the process of amending the Cotton Act No 21 of 2001 to make it responsive to challenges in the sector.
Minister of Agriculture, Reuben Mtolo, said stakeholders should participate by making submissions to the Ministry to make Act responsive to the needs of the sector.
Mtolo noted that there is need for capacity building to empower and strengthen the smallholder cotton farmers in the industry.
He has also tasked the Cotton Association of Zambia (CAZ) to do more to improve the farmer organisation, financial capacity and partnership relationship with cotton ginners.
“Government is determined to address challenges in the cotton sector to enhance productivity,” Mtolo said.
He said this in a speech read on his behalf by Ministry Director Seed Control and Certification Institute, Francisco Mitti, at the cotton development trust cotton field day in magoye.
Meanwhile, Mtolo urged researchers, the cotton board of Zambia and ginners to promote the adoption of low-cost sustainable cotton production technologies to small scale farmers in order to improve gross margins.
He said price setting of seed cotton must be transparent and fair for both players to ensure equitable sharing of not only risks but also profits.
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Cotton Development Trust (CDT) Director, Lwisha Silwimba, said the overall objective of the institution is to improve cotton production and incomes among the small-scale farmers in Zambia.
“Cotton production occupies an important place in the economic development of the country and deserves adequate support,” Silwimba said.
He said CDT is ready to provide the technological base for the development of the cotton industry in Zambia.
This year field day was celebrated under the theme “Promoting sustainable and regenerative agricultural technologies amidst climate change “.
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