Lecturer pushes for cotton revival

By LUDOVICK KAZOKA 

SOKOINE University of Agriculture (SUA) senior lecturer has underscored the need for all cotton farming stakeholders to play role in reviving the cash crop in the country. Speaking during a recent workshop on cotton farming here, the don, Prof Reuben Kadigi, said performance of the sector has continued to shrink annually due to diverse factors.

“There is need for all players, ranging from growers, traders, processors, exporters, importers and ginners to ensure cotton quality at all levels,” Prof Kadigi told the Agricultural Council of Tanzania (ACT) organised workshop.

The workshop was convened to bring together relevant stakeholders from all cotton growing regions to mull on best strategies of reviving the performance of the crucial sector. Prof Kadigi pointed out that poor technology in grinding cotton seeds, packaging and weight cheating among sellers as well as poor quality of cotton seeds are the key factors behind lackluster performance of the cotton industry in the country.

“Cotton is a vital raw material for propelling mushrooming of industries. As the government focuses on industrial economy, it is of great important to ensure sufficient supply of quality cotton to spur growth of local industries,” he urged.

ACT Director of Policy, Planning and Advocacy Timoth Mmbaga said formerly, Tanzania stood among the best cotton producers in the continent, saying the country used even to outsmart Bukina Faso which is currently dominating the continent’s cotton market.

“We have decided to organise this high level workshop which involves stakeholders from the private and public sectors to discuss and set viable strategies over how to revive the cotton industry in Tanzania,” he said.

He underscored the need for the parent ministry to take proper steps to revive the sector, a move that will play significant part in pushing for the much- needed industrial drive. Tanzania Cotton Board (TCB) Director General Marco Mtunga, attributed the poor performance of the sector to the introduction of a free market in which cotton farmers used to enter into contract with different local and foreign companies that used to purchase their crops.

However, he said the government through the parent ministry plans to implement a special new programme and policies to reinstate the status of Tanzania’s cotton in the global market. “From now onwards, all cotton will be marketed by farmers through Agriculture Marketing Cooperatives Societies (AMCOS).

Through this manner, we will stand a better side in curbing the situation,” he unveiled. Furthermore, in more efforts, he said, the government will ensure farmers are categorizing their cotton in two major grades, grade A and B.

“We have also set an indicative price that grade A of cotton will be sold at 1,100/- per kilogramme, with grade B fetching 600/- per kg,” he said.