Sat, 24 Jun 2017 12:21:04 +0000 By BUUMBA CHIMBULU INCREASING productivity of producers and ginners is the best way to improve the competitiveness and profitability of cotton production in Zambia, an international expert has said. Mr Gérald Estur has also been engaged by the Cotton Board of Zambia (CBZ) to spearhead the introduction of a pricing model which would assist farmers in the sector sell their produce. Mr Estur said low productivity for cotton translated into lower incomes for both farmers and ginners. He was speaking at a cotton stakeholders’ workshop in Lusaka recently. “Seed cotton price must be linked to international lint price. Pre-planting price needed to give visibility to stakeholders. “As cotton prices will remain volatile and unpredictable, there is no silver bullet for designing a price-setting system. There is crucial need to have consensus between producers and ginners,” he said. Mr Estur emphasised that pricing was one component of farmers’ cotton […]
