Cottco Holding Limited has appealed to the government to reinstate its monopoly which it had before the year 2000. The company said this was necessary to combat side marketing and to ensure its viability. Cottco managing director Pious Manamike told Farmers Voice magazine,
Deregulation of the industry by the government was good because it brought about competition but it also brought with it viability challenges for us in the form of side-market-ing.
Indeed, we are not afraid of competition but the playing field is not even when some companies just sprout during harvesting period and reap where they did not sow.
Everything should be situational. Nothing should be strait-jacket. A good example is that of National Railways of Zimbabwe, you cannot have several companies providing railway services; it is the government that should do that hence we have that monopoly. Certain challenges can only be addressed by a monopoly.
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