Zambia extends cotton marketing season till August-end

04 Aug '12

2 min read

In a bid to allow cotton growers to deliver their produce to designated points of sale, the Cotton Ginners Association of Zambia (CGAZ) has prolonged the current year’s cotton marketing season till August 31, 2012.

The current year’s marketing season was afflicted by pricing rows and it was otherwise due for expiry on July 31, 2012.

Realizing that the start of the marketing season got delayed by pricing disagreements, CGAZ felt it wise to extend the marketing season to allow growers to deliver their crops to designated points of sale, CGAZ Executive Secretary Bourne Chooka said.

There was a disagreement between CGAZ and the Cotton Association of Zambia over cotton procurement prices, as while ginners’ association offered K 1,725 per kg as final price for the produce, the farmers’ associations were seeking at least K 3,200 per kg for same quality, Mr. Chooka said.

Some of the farmers even denied harvesting their crop, stating that their harvest cost comes to be more than the price of K 1,725 per kg being offered by the ginners, he added.

According to CGAZ, the current year’s low prices are mainly due to a sharp decline in cotton prices on the world market. The world cotton lint prices now prevail at around US$ 72 cents per pound, much below the price of US$ 150 cents per pound fetched around same period last year.

During last year, CGAZ procured domestic cotton at a price of K 3,200 per kg, Mr. Chooka said.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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