Cotton farmers in the country have been advised to sell their produce to buyers that are offering good prices.
Cotton Farmers Association of Malawi representative George Nnensa told Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Wednesday that farmers should not be worried that some buyers that are offering low prices.
“The prices that are now offered at the market are not good because most buyers are offering K180 per kilogramme. I would advise farmers to sell their cotton to the Agricultural Development Cooperation of Malawi [Admarc] which is offering K220 per kilogramme,” Nnensa said.
On Tuesday, some farmers failed to sell their cotton in most selling centres because buyers were offering low prices per kilogramme.
But when sales resumed on Wednesday, buyers were buying cotton at K200 per kilogramme.
It is believed that companies are taking advantage of farmers that are living in rural areas, especially where there are no Admarc depots.
Farmers in the country have been lamenting over low prices offered to their produce, but early this year government passed the Cotton Bill which was meant to safeguard farmers from exploitative vendors.
However, few months after passing the bill, cotton prices are still low.
Apart from protecting farmers from vendors, the bill would allow for the establishment of Cotton Council which would register its farmers as members.
The council would help farmers to negotiate on the price of cotton among others.
