From Allafrica · · 1m 20s
Zimbabwe Women Cotton Farmers Create Value Beyond White Gold
Zimbabwean women farmers use sewing and savings to earn beyond cotton harvests amid climate challenges.
In brief
Zimbabwean women farmers use sewing and savings to earn beyond cotton harvests amid climate challenges. Zimbabwean women cotton farmers create income through sewing and collective savings to offset climate risks and low cotton prices. Originally reported by Allafrica.
Cotton as White Gold
Zimbabwean women farmers call cotton their white gold for household income.
“Shamva is a very dry region, and most men survive on illegal gold mining. But for us as women, cotton is our white gold”
Climate Challenges
Unpredictable weather and poor seed reduce cotton harvests and income for farmers.
“Cotton does not require much water, but the rains are no longer reliable”
Low Cotton Prices
Farmers sell cotton for US$0.24 per kilogram versus world market prices.
“The money we are selling per kilogram versus the world market price is very upsetting”
Sewing Initiative
Women use sewing machines to make uniforms and repairs for community income.
“The sewing initiative is helping us a lot. When the fields fail to produce, we then rely on sewing”
Collective Savings
Women save together for household needs and farming expenses.
“We also do savings as a group to assist each other financially or loan when we want to buy farming inputs”
COTTCO Support
COTTCO provides subsidized seed and payment support for farmers.
“COTTCO said it supplied certified seed, including drought-tolerant, early-maturing varieties”
Women's Economic Role
Women face restrictions in mining but cotton offers economic opportunities.
“So as an organisation, cotton is white gold because that is the only field we can mine without restrictions”
Climate Impact
Weather patterns affect cotton harvests and payment timing for farmers.
“The severity of it is the most scariest”
Sewing Benefits
Sewing provides income beyond agricultural season and offsets crop failures.
“We get money from there and put it in our savings, and we all benefit”
Future Plans
Women aim to create value-added products from cotton for household use.
“We can do that on our own”
Climate Resilience
Women use sewing and savings to adapt to climate challenges and economic uncertainty.
“We had an exchange with women cotton farmers in Malawi, and they are doing value addition”
The key point
Zimbabwean women cotton farmers create income through sewing and collective savings to offset climate risks and low cotton prices.
