Page 11 - 14 Cotton SA March 2018

NEWS

Mozambique developing
Suid-Afrika BCI Projek standard for sustainable cotton
ie BCI projek vir die huidige 2017/18 ozambique is developing its own
Dproduksieseisoen is vol aan die gang Mnational standard for sustainable
met die opleiding van veldfasiliteerders en cotton production, which will mirror the
boere wat onlangs by die Loskop en principles and criteria developed by the
Vaalharts pluismeulens plaasgevind het. Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). The new
standard will also include additional
Die doel is om deur die loop van die jaar sustainability criteria related to the parts
voort te gaan om BCI kennis aan alle of cotton supply chain not covered by the
deelnemers oor te dra. Die 1169 BCI standard.
deelnemende boere vir die 2017/18
produksieseisoen is baie entoesiasties om The strategic partnership agreement
deel van die BCI inisiatief te wees en 'n totaal signed by the Cotton Institute of
van 15 594 ha sal na verwagting hierdie Mozambique (IAM) and BCI embeds the
seisoen deel uitmaak van die BCI inisiatief. Better Cotton principles and criteria within
Dit sluit in 2 282 ha van kleinboere van die Mozambique's national regulations for
Mpumalanga en Kwazulu Natal distrikte. cotton growing. This agreement will ensure
that cotton grown in Mozambique by BCI
Tobie Jooste - Katoen SA licensed farmers can be sold as certified
Better Cotton on international markets.
Similar agreements exist with other cotton
certification schemes, including Cotton
Malawi cotton farming needs Made In Africa (CmiA), Australia's myBMP
$4.8 million for revival and Brazil's Algodão Brasileira Responsável
(ABR).
he Malawi government should invest $4.8
Tmillion into cotton farming to revive the
industry which is at the verge of collapsing,
African Institute of Corporate Citizenship (AICC)
has said. There has been a decline in cotton
production which is worrisome because cotton
remains among the best forex earners which can wanda, Tanzania and Uganda will face US trade
replace tobacco. AICC Chief Executive Officer Rpenalties, including losing eligibility for duty-free
Felix Lombe said that Malawi's cotton production clothing exports to the US market under the African
has gone down from 100 000 tons in 2012 to Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), if they decide to
around 15 000 tons in 2017.
stop import of used clothes from the United States,
according to the US State Department. Washington sees
Farmers are not able to afford farm inputs, a
situation that has forced many of them out of stopping of used clothing imports, known as Mitumba in
cotton farming over the years, Lombe explained. East African nations, as a blockage of free trade.
The result is that the number of cotton farmers in
the country has gone down from 300 000 in 2011 Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda argued last July that the
to 150 000 in 2016. The cotton sector previously ban was key to their efforts to develop domestic clothing
offered 15 000 fulltime jobs but now employs less manufacturing industries, which the Trump
than 300 people because most ginning and cotton administration disputes, saying making inexpensive used
value addition companies closed down as a result clothing unavailable will adversely affect many in the
of the low production. three countries.

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