Having acquired a controlling stake in Zimbabwe-based Quton Seed Company, India’s Agri biotech major, Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company Limited (Mahyco), has launched a hybrid seed variety of cotton in the African market during the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS). The company has emerged as a significant cotton-seed supplier to the region. The local farmers expect a better yield this year with the hybrid seed.
Mr. Pious Manamike, managing director of Cotton Company of Zimbabwe, and other stakeholders did experimentation to determine the feasibility of the hybrid seed in the country. A pilot project was run with 20 tonnes of the Mahyco hybrid seed. Most farmers were expected to harvest triple-fold in yields instead of the traditional open-pollinated varieties (OPV) that Zimbabwe has been growing. The Cotton Company of Zimbabwe is a large cotton processing and marketing organization in Southern Africa. The company, known as “COTTCO”, works with individual cotton farmers, providing agronomic and financial support. Cottco is listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange and its stock index, the Zimbabwe Industrial Index.
Currently, the farmers hope for a rainy season up to March 2022. Moreover, if the situations remain feasible, it is expected that the yield will be significantly higher than the previous seasons amid the import of 300 tonnes of hybrid seeds from India last year.
African farmers expect better yield with Mahyco Hybrid Cotton Seeds
