Cotton Council of Malawi on Monday opened this year’s Cotton Marketing Season with output estimated at 22 894 metric tonnes (MT), which is in line with the regulator’s vision of achieving 50 000MT production next season.
The council’s executive director Apatsa Selemani, speaking at a media briefing in Lilongwe on Monday, said the projected production is more than double the 10 000MT produced last season.
He said: “This year, 13 599 hectares were put to cotton and 22 894MT is expected. It is the desire of the council and all stakeholders to ensure sustainability in the production of cotton.
“The sector will continue to put in place systems for improved regulation and development.”
Selemani said the council has also developed a new strategy targeting 50 000MT in the coming season, adding that with proper planning and collaboration across the entire cotton sector, they will achieve the target.
The council’s optimism to increase production comes at a time demand for cotton in terms of ginning capacity stands at about 400 000MT, which means Malawi is only producing a fraction of cotton that the market is ready to buy.
In a separate intereview, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development deputy director for crop development responsible for field crops Osborne Tsoka urged the buyers to observe the government set minimum farm-gate price of K1 500 per kilogramme (kg).
“We have put in place all the measures to make sure that farmers are able to sell their cotton at the recommended minimum price and we expect that all the cotton will be bought,” he said.
This year, new cotton buyer Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Nchalo Estate brings the number of buyers to five. The others are Admarc Limited, Afrisian Limited, Malawi Cotton Company and Masapa Cotton Ginners.
Meanwhile, Cotton Farmers Association of Malawi president Labson Zidana said that last season some farmers were frustrated due to the rising cost of inputs and technical challenges that delayed their payment.
He said some farmers struggled to access their proceeds due to cases of funds transferred to wrong bank accounts as the council was piloting the Cotton Information Management System.
Parliamentary Cluster Committee on Agriculture, Irrigation, Natural Resources and Climate Change chairperson Tiaone Hendry is quoted as having called for increased budget allocation to Cotton Council of Malawi to implement strategies aimed at revamping cotton production.
She said to revamp the sector, the council which was allocated K1.78 billion in the 2026/27 budget, needs more resources of not less than K4 billion to subsidise cotton seed and strengthen extension services, among others.
Since 2010 when cotton output reached 100 000MT, production has averaged about about 10 000MT for the past decade, with last year recording one of the lowest output of between 10 000 and 13 000MT.
The cotton market will run for 90 days in 50 designated outlets nationwide.
