Good rains as well as timely planting and improved supply of inputs has raised hopes of 300,000 tons plus cotton output in 2006 as compared to 190,000 tons last year.
Notably, cotton is Zimbabwe's major foreign currency earner.
Another factor contributing high cotton output is that unlike other crops, the cotton industry is the only agricultural sector not affected by the ongoing land reform programme.
Cotton prices were at US 57cents per pound, higher than last year due to the huge demand for the country's fresh produce. Since other cotton-producing countries are in their off-season, Zimbabwe is the only country offering it, while merchants clamour for it while it is just picked.
Cotton producing countries in America only start producing around September.
But, unfortunately, textile industries in African countries like Uganda and Tanzania have collapsed due to the onslaught of cheap Chinese textiles that have made way illegally in to local markets and further compounded by transshipment issue.
-Ltd..jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Thermore (Far East) Ltd.")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)")
