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NEWS Tobie Jooste - Katoen SA

Natal distrikte.
sluit in 2 282 ha van kleinboere van die Mpumalanga en Kwazulu
verwagting hierdie seisoen deel uitmaak van die BCI inisiatief. Dit
deel van die BCI inisiatief te wees en 'n totaal van 15 594 ha sal na
boere vir die 2017/18 produksieseisoen is baie entoesiasties om
kennis aan alle deelnemers oor te dra. Die 1169 deelnemende
Die doel is om deur die loop van die jaar voort te gaan om BCI
het.
wat onlangs by die Loskop en Vaalharts pluismeulens plaasgevind
Daan die gang met die opleiding van veldfasiliteerders en boere
Zimbabwe Cotton Outlook COTTON INCORPORATED
ie BCI projek vir die huidige 2017/18 produksieseisoen is vol
US CLOTHING SURVEY
he Cotton Company (COTTCO) of Zimbabwe in
TOctober started distributing inputs for the coming ore than four in five consumers
season, with farmers applauding the company for the Msay cotton is their favorite fibre
timely disbursements, which they say will enable them to to wear, according to the Cotton
plant on time and improve their yield potential. Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™
Zimbabwe's cotton production reached 130 000 tons last Survey. That's followed by a distant
3% who choose polyester, silk (2%),
season, the highest in nearly five years due to inputs
then spandex, rayon, linen, and wool
support by the Government. The government supported
(each 1%).
inputs package includes two-50kg bags of basal and
top-dressing fertiliser and seed. Farmers will also receive Compared to manmade fibre
chemicals. In addition to inputs, COTTCO is also clothing, more than eight in ten
providing tillage assistance to high potential cotton consumers say cotton clothing is the
farmers. This season the Presidential Cotton Free Inputs most comfortable. In further
comparisons to synthetics, consu-
program is targeting 400 000 families (up from 350 000
mers say cotton clothes are the most
last year) in rural areas who rely on cotton as their main
sustainable (86%), the softest (83%),
source of livelihood.
highest quality (78%) and most
versatile (63%).
The government's intervention came after production
dropped to 28 000 tons in 2015, the lowest in nearly two Compared to manmade fibre
decades after farmers shunned the crop due to lack of clothing, the overwhelming majority
funding and poor prices. As a result of inadequate levels of consumers say cotton clothing is
the best for T-shirts (90%),
of inputs and agronomic support by cotton merchants
underwear and intimates (83%),
(which led to low yields), proliferation of side-marketing
childrenswear (82%) and casual
and poor debt recovery in the past few years, the clothing (80%), according to
industry almost collapsed. Five years ago, Zimbabwe had Monitor™ research.
more than 10 cotton merchants but most of them,
including Cargill, have closed down. When asked why they would pay
more to keep their clothes cotton-
rich, most (49%) cited the comfort
factor, according to the Monitor™.

ccording to Fitch Solutions, Lesotho's textile manu-
Afacturing sector, which represents 13.1% of GDP
growth in 2016, is expected to underperform due to A’s Footwear & Leather Industry Cluster (FLIC), the
structural issues and lower demand from South Africa. Sreplacement for the National Footwear & Leather Cluster
There continues to be little domestic value addition in the (NFLC), has finally been signed-off by the Department of Trade
supply chain of the textile sector with most factories & Industry (DTI), which means the Industrial Development
preferring to "Cut, Make and Trim", keeping the sector's Corporation (IDC) will release funds for its operation. Unlike its
competitive advantage focused only on cheap labour. predecessor, which employed multiple staff and included a fully-
equipped footwear factory at the Vaal University of Technology,
Lesotho's textile sector's growth is also largely
and which was shut down by the IDC because of financial
dependent on the clothing demand from South Africa,
mismanagement, the FLIC will oversee projects run by sub-
where part of the goods are exported to.
clusters.

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