ZIMBABWE was the largest producer of cotton in Southern Africa a few years ago.  

In 1980, Zimbabwe produced 147 420 tonnes of cotton and by 1985, was producing 179 000 tonnes, in the large scale commercial sector.  

During the first decade of independence, cotton was the most important foreign currency earner.

The small-scale communal areas, where ARDA was present, were producing 36 928 tonnes of cotton and by 1985 had quadrupled their output to 151 000 tonnes; showing evidence of indigenous expertise in cotton production.

In 1985, 55 percent of the cotton crop was grown on large-scale estates, 38 percent in commercial farming areas with the remainder in small scale communal areas and Government estates. 

In the mid-to-late 1980s, Zimbabwean cotton attracted a price premium on overseas markets due to the precision production processes.

Cotton contributed between 10-22 percent of agricultural exports. 

The introduction of an input credit scheme and deregulation of cotton marketing have resulted in a massive surge in production, especially by small-scale indigenous growers.

Exports of cotton increased from 18 797 tonnes in 1993, peaked at 92 769 tonnes in 1997 and declined to 79 671 tonnes in 1998 because of low yields. 

Depressed world prices, since the beginning of 1999, further depressed the local cotton production.

Zimbabwean lint was scientifically produced from the seed cotton grading stage to the ginning process where only similar grades of cotton were used.  

Zimbabwe produced high-quality cotton because it was hand-picked, and manually selected, thus helping it secure and establish a niche market. 

Historically, cotton is indigenous to Zimbabwe.  

It grew in several areas in Mashonaland West, North, Gokwe and notably in the Zambezi River Basin, where, in pre-colonial times, the Tonga and Kore-kore people grew cotton to make string and blankets.

In about 1890, a sample of the indigenous plant was sent to London where experts gave it a highly favourable assessment.  However, little interest was shown for indigenous cotton until 1924 when a cotton research station was established at Kadoma.  

Here, research indicated that the indigenous variety of cotton was similar to both an Egyptian and American variety, which was suitable for local conditions.

The Cotton Research Institute at Kadoma was responsible for the development, maintenance and evaluation of varieties suitable for Zimbabwean conditions.  

As a result, Zimbabwean cotton was in demand on world markets for its cleanliness, regularity, durability and intrinsic fibre properties.

Through colonial exploitation and expansion of the cotton growing industry, premium prices realised from cotton led to a cotton boom until production was altered by a severe attack of the destructive jassid insect.  

In the late 1920s, the Cotton Research Station introduced a jassid-resistant variety of cotton by hybridizing the indigenous seed; this prevented the collapse of the fledgling cotton industry. 

Aphids, jassids, pink-ball worm, cut worm, caterpillars and termites are the major pests that affect cotton crops, requiring diligent pest control.  

Weeds are prolific in cotton fields and require stringent weed control.

At the dawn of the 1960s, improved pest control methods were introduced and the cotton industry expanded considerably.  Between 1962 and 1969, there was a 47-fold increase in the volume of cotton production — from 3 600 to 

156 000 tonnes.

Apart from growing indigenous hybrids, most of Zimbabwe’s later varieties of cotton emerged from a breeding stock known as alba, and grown locally since the 1960s.  

The alba stock was developed in Uganda from a northern Nigerian variety known as allen, 

From 1985, there was an upsurge in cotton cultivation in the country, and the crop replaced tobacco on many white-owned farms that were at a low enough altitude to grow cotton well.

Mashonaland provinces became the leading cotton growing provinces, with cotton ginneries established at Banket, Glendale and Shamva.

Irrigation schemes were established in the south-eastern Lowveld to enable cotton to be grown as an important summer crop and wheat as a winter crop.  

The yield potential with irrigation is over 3 500 kg per hectare.  In the middle veld where supplementary irrigation was used are 2200kg/ha yields; whereas dry land or grain grown crops yielded only 100-200kg/ha.  

In the rest of the country, flood methods were commonly used to water this crop.

During this period in history, cotton became an important crop in the communal areas, where it took second place to cattle as a leading cash crop.

The Cotton Marketing Board (CMB) was established in 1969 to manage the interests of this burgeoning industry.

Cotton is well suited for communal farming as it requires little capital outlay for specialised equipment or handling facilities, no processing after picking by farmers and is readily marketable.  

The communal cotton growing sector was steadily increasing its share of the total production of cotton, and this cash crop was seen as a key tool to assist rural communal farmers move from subsistence farming to a cash economy and buoy the expanding cotton and clothing industries.

The subsidiary products yielded from cotton provided oil for cooking and soap-making, and a protein rich cotton seed cake used as cattle feed.  

Further, cotton seed yielded more than 40 percent of the edible cooking oil produced in Zimbabwe.

Cotton requires a growing period of six months.  

The provision of adequate moisture and nutrients enables the cotton plant to respond well to high temperatures and long sunlight hours.  

In Zimbabwe, the production of cotton is generally restricted to the middle and lower altitude soils of the country. 

Potential cotton farmers should avoid soils prone to water logging during the initial phase of growth as the plant grows slowly and is prone to adverse growing conditions, from its emergent stage to about eight weeks.

During early crop development cotton growing lands are particularly prone to soil erosion because of the crop’s initial slow development and growth.

The two basic tillage methods employed in Zimbabwe for cotton production are the conventional ploughed method and the reduced tillage method.  

The conventional ploughing system enables the incorporation of the previous crops residue into the soil and improves the soil’s friability and fertility.

The reduced tillage system is based on soil ripping. 

Advantages of this system include reduced costs, better water retention, less erosion and reduced soil compaction.   

However, this method retards root development and stem growth.

Dr Tony Monda is currently researching Agronomy, Farming and Veterinary epidemiology in Zimbabwe.  He is a writer, lecturer and specialist Post-Colonial Scholar, Zimbabwean Socio-Economic analyst and researcher. 

For views and comments, email: tonym.MONDA@gmail.com