prisons to increase cotton production
Authorities are optimistic of raising cotton production by 500 percent to 50 000 metric tonnes following an agreement with Malawi Prisons Service (MPS) to grow and multiply seed.
Cotton Council of Malawi spokesperson Prisca Jamali disclosed this in an interview as preparations for the forthcoming season intensify after the official closure of the cotton selling season on Tuesday 13 August 2024.
Jamali said the council is optimistic of increasing production from 10 000 metric tonnes in 2024 to 50 000 metric tonnes in 2025, and increasing further going forward as it embarks on a significant seed multiplication drive to deal with seed supply challenges that barred farmers from growing the crop recently.
Among others, according to Jamali, the council signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MPS that will enable prisons to grow the cash crop in their farms while embarking on seed multiplication projects.
Jamali said: “This will be executed in selected prison farms. Prisoners will be individually benefitting from proceeds of the venture as part of rehabilitation and reformation into productive citizens before their integration into the society.”
In the past, around 300 000 farmers used to produce the crop and around 125 000 hectares used to be put under cotton production but the numbers drastically decreased.
In an interview, agricultural policy expert Taman Nkhono-Mvula described the move as positive, saying using the prisons’ farms could help solve the cotton production conundrum.
“One of the factors behind cotton sector down-scaling has been the reduction of hectares that used to grow cotton so if the prisons have farms I think it is a viable option to make use of them because cotton still has vast potential to supplement tobacco as main forex supplier,” Nkhono-Mvula said.
In a separate interview, agriculture extension service expert Leonard Chimwaza said the model was welcome “as apart from revitalising the cotton sector, it will also support the prisons which usually don’t have adequate funding to ensure food security, among others”.
Forex challenges have proven a barrier to hybrid cotton seed which is imported from India, at an exorbitant price to a local farmer (K62 000 per kilogramme); hence the need to use locally-multiplied seed, according to Chimwaza.
Another player, Masapa Cotton Ginners, with the support of Solidaridad, an international non-governmental organisation, multiplied 300 000 metric tonnes of cotton seed to be used in this forthcoming growing season.
