The Cotton Association of Zambia (CAZ) has developed and is currently implementing a Programme Plan “CAZ Addressing Cotton Farmers Needs” to enable the Association address key issues affecting its membership. The goal of the Programme is ‘to contribute to rural poverty alleviation through increased incomes and improved livelihoods of cotton farmers’. The objective of the Programme is ‘to strengthen the capacity of CAZ to satisfy the cotton producers’ needs’. The activities to be financed by Agriterra fall under the following outcome areas: To increase both the cotton yields/ha as well as the quality of the cotton produced. To increase the value addition of seed cotton production through farmer self financing schemes and operation of farmer owned/controlled baby ginneries at DFA level. CAZ is able to adequately represent the cotton farmers in terms of contractual agreements with cotton outgrower/ginning companies resulting in improved contract for farmers. To ensure that CAZ becomes a member driven, well structured & governed organization and sustainable organization with the capacity to provide effective and efficient service delivery in the areas of production, value addition, contractual negotiations and lobbying and advocacy.

Cotton Association of Zambia is a member based organization which was formed in the year 2005 by Smallholder Cotton Farmers to address concerns of the members in the cotton sector. The Association was formed based on the Cotton Act (1999) and the Agricultural Credit Act which provides for the formation of the Cotton Association of Zambia and its funding through the Cotton Board. Since 2007 CAZ has been able to negotiate improved seed cotton prices for its farmers with most of the outgrower/ginning companies operating in the country. The target group of CAZ are the 300.00 small-scale cotton farmers producing Zambia’s cotton crop. Currently CAZ has around 30.000 members and they target to have 150.000 members by 2015. CAZ is affiliated to the Zambia National Farmers´ Union (ZNFU). The Cotton Association of Zambia (CAZ) Programme Plan for the period 2010-2013 is based on the CAZ Strategic Framework Document 2010-2015, which has recently been developed. The CAZ Programme Plan 2010-2013 will enable the organisation to deliver tangible benefits to its membership (smallholder cotton farmers) in the following key areas: • Improving the seed cotton yields of cotton farmers through a comprehensive farmer training program based on the study circle concept and making use of yield improvement techniques, which have been tested under Zambian conditions • Adding value and reduction of dependence of smallholder cotton farmers on outgrower/ginning companies through the development of a farmer cotton self financing scheme and farmer owned/controlled baby ginning operations • Providing CAZ with the capacity to negotiate and develop improved cotton production contract arrangements between the smallholder farmers and the outgrower/ginning companies leading to improved incomes by the farmers • Organisational development of CAZ, enabling the organisation to improve its sustainability and lessen dependency on outside funding through the introduction of 0.25 % cotton levy in the cotton industry • Improved policy development within the cotton sector, leading to reduced side selling/pirate buying and relevant GRZ support to the cotton sector • Ensuring that gender and HIV/Aids issues are mainstreamed resulting in tangible benefits at the level of the farmers