Agricultural liberalization, cotton markets and buyers' relations in Zimbabwe, 2001-2008

摘要

The paper examines the relations between seed cotton buyers in Zimbabwe's deregulated cotton sector. It draws upon interviews with officials from cotton companies to expose the disagreements and lack of cooperation among them over side marketing of contracted seed cotton and in maintaining common industry standards. In this context, the paper discusses cotton sector reforms spearheaded by some industry stakeholders aimed to address problems in the cotton sector. Despite the companies' official agreement to the draft reforms of 2004, there were simmering tensions and disputes that strained relations among them. The government's unwillingness to intervene and provide coordination exacerbated problems in the cotton sector. Further, the paper highlights the contradictions in neo-liberal reforms that seek to promote competitive agricultural markets, and argue against state intervention and strong regulation of markets. It argues that there is a need to reconceptualize the role of the state in some predatory and developing countries that liberalized agricultural markets because of the multiple and uneven effects of the lack of regulation and absence of institutions in the private sector.