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/ INDUSTRY

BCI aims to
transform cotton
production worldwide

by developing
better cotton as a
sustainable mainstream
commodity.”

100% of its cotton as “more sustainable machines, mostly the latest technology, which
cotton” by 2020. consolidates picking and baling. Since the
BCI aims to transform cotton production demonstration of the first new harvesting
worldwide by developing Better Cotton as technology in 2015, 11 cotton strippers and
a sustainable mainstream commodity. BCI 24 cotton pickers have been imported by
uses a chain of custody models called Mass participating farmers. These top-of-the-range
Balance whereby volumes of Better Cotton are cotton pickers cost between R9 million and
tracked on an online sourcing platform. Better R11 million each. They harvest between
Cotton may be mixed with or replaced by 15 ha and 20 ha per day, so a farmer needs
conventional cotton in its journey from field to at least 1 000 ha under irrigation to make
product. However, the volumes of Better Cotton the investment viable. This equipment makes
claimed by members on the online platform cotton farming more productive and cost-
should never exceed the volumes physically effective, especially in the case of dry-land
procured by spinners and traders. cotton production.
The significant growth in the cotton industry Mr Bruwer says that there was roughly
has also resulted in capital investment of more 34 000 ha cotton planted during the past
than R200 million on the ginning side. The season, up from 7 500 ha in 2013, with more
Loskop Cotton Gin in Marble Hall has been than 40 000 ha expected for the new season.
replaced with a totally new gin with increased The industry had about 230 commercial
capacity and another new gin in Koedoeskop, farmers and about 1 250 small growers last
Limpopo, is now in operation. season, with 51 of the commercial farmers
Farmers are also putting their hands deep and 1 115 of the smallholder farmers being
into their pockets to buy new harvesting BCI-licenced. The South African cotton-growing

Volume 21 No 1 March 2019 | 13