Masapa ginners to produce 300 000 kg of cotton seed

A sigh of relief to cotton farmers as the availability of processed seeds is guaranteed in the forthcoming season following the rolling out of Masapa Cotton’s seed multiplication plant in Salima.

The Cotton Council of Malawi confirmed the milestone which comes years after farmers struggled to access certified seeds, a situation which contributed to a steep drop of cotton production recorded at 10 million kilogrammes (kg) this year.

In an interview, the council’s spokesperson Prisca Jamali was optimistic the sector’s production is set to increase starting in the forthcoming season following the commencement of seed multiplication technology within the country.

Jamali said: “This year, we are certain the production will increase because farmers will easily access seeds following the rolling of Masapa’s seed multiplication plant that will ensure access to seeds unlike in the past where importation of hybrid seed was being affected by forex challenges.”

In a separate interview, Masapa Cotton Ginners director Osward Lutepo confirmed the development, saying he invested K1.5 billion in the Salima-based plant after observing that lack of seeds is among key factors of the sector’s collapse.

“Masapa Cotton Ginners in Partnership with Solidalidad and Kvuno have ensured that the cotton seed multiplication programme has been rolled out successfully through farmer engagement, where basic seed and pesticides were provided to registered farmers.

“With the current volumes, we are sure that enough certified seed will be available for the market this season. We anticipate producing between 250 000kg to 350 000kg of final certified cotton seed,” Lutepo said.

The company has set the seed buying price at K10 000 per kg, which is lower than the price of hybrid cotton seeds which were fetching as high as K58 000 per kg.

Meanwhile, Cotton Farmers Association of Malawi president Labson Zidana said better prices that buyers offered this year are likely going to attract many farmers to resume growing the cash crop after years of frustrations.

“If the seeds will indeed be available at an affordable price I believe cotton production will increase in 2025 as the prices soared to a maximum of K1 150 this season, which was higher than the government set minimum price of K900,” Zidana said.

This year’s cotton season will close next week despite buyers exhausting the crop almost a month ago because of low production in a season which raked in K8 billion.