Malawi is expected to only produce about 10,000 metric tonnes (mt) of cotton this year, figures from the Cotton Council of Malawi (CCM) show.
The country produced a similar volume of the commodity last year.
In an interview, CCM spokesperson Prisca Jamali said this year’s marketing season is expected to commence next month.
“There has not been any significant change in the amount of cotton produced this year. We are still within the range of 10,000mt to 11,000mt,” she said.
However, Jamali said the industry expects large-scale producers to start growing the crop soon.
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She said, already, Illovo Sugar is producing the commodity on trial basis.
In a separate interview, Cotton Farmers Association of Malawi President Lapson Zidana attributed static volume to delayed supply of seed.
“Most farmers were able to access seed only in January, which is late. And the seed is expensive, at K58,000 per kilogramme.
“We, however, expect prices to reflect recent economic trends such as the 44 percent devaluation and our gross margins,” Zidana said.
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In a recent interview, Africa Institute for Corporate Citizenship Chief Executive Officer Drian Luwanda said the situation has been perpetuated by low cotton prices.
Last year, the crop raked in K5.8 billion.
