Page 7 - 08 Cotton SA March 2016

The Sustainable Cotton Cluster

“The Spin-off is what counts”

Prilla Mills in Pietermaritzburg is one of the largest of Southern Africa’s
eight cotton spinning mills – four in South Africa and one each in Swaziland,
Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique. But size was not what convinced Enrique
Crouse, Managing Director of Prilla, to join the Sustainable Cotton Cluster initiative
as a member. The big picture did.
“I international
take note of what
happens in the world,”
says Enrique. “I attend
an
conference every
year and sit on the international
spinners committee. So I have
seen the trend of sourcing in
close proximity to the market gain
momentum. The concept of ‘near-
sourcing’ and ‘quick response’ has
shaped our industry globally and is
an influence South Africa cannot
escape.”
For Enrique, the Sustainable
Cotton Cluster presented the
opportunity to help South Africa
respond to these influences. “It
was strategically important for us
to get onto the bus right at the
beginning.”
The other reason for Prilla’s
involvement is South Africa’s
longer term stability and prosperity.
Enrique points out that all the developed countries, and the colour of the fibre it buys, each of which has an effect on the
significant developing ones, used to have or still have significant process. Only with a thorough understanding of the fibre, can
textile and clothing industries. This is due to these industries’ the blending be done that ensures the mill produces a consistent
capacity to absorb labour, thanks to the low cost of creating jobs product efficiently.
and, as a result, create social stability.
Consistency of blending is particularly important in the knitting
“It was important for the country to prove that if things were industry, given that cotton absorbs colour differently depending
done efficiently in the local value chain we could produce a on type and maturity. “Knitting exposes poor spinning because
product that is competitive,” says Enrique. “We need to reignite it highlights differences in colour uptake,” says Enrique. If the
the textile and clothing industry to help address the horrendous spinning mill does not blend the cotton fibre properly, the colour
unemployment that plagues our nation. This is the Sustainable of the knitted fabric will be stripy, or “barre” in industry terms.
Cotton Cluster’s long-term potential spin-off.” “We have to make sure this doesn’t happen. The appearance of
the fabric depends on the quality of the yarn we produce.”
In addition to the characteristics of cotton fibre, the multiple
SPINNING’S PLACE IN THE COTTON VALUE CHAIN
stages in the sequential production process (each impacting on
The spinning mill converts cotton fibre into yarn that, in turn, the next), as well as the machine type, condition and maintenance
will be processed into fabric through knitting, weaving or towel further add to the complexity of producing high quality yarn.
making. The quality of the yarn determines how efficient and Different spinning mills produce different products for different
cost-effective the fabric formation stage will be.
customers. These include ring-spun (compact, combed, carded),
It sounds simple enough, but the hundreds of PhDs already done open-end and folded yarns. The latter, for instance, is used
on the impact of fibre and process variables on the quality and primarily to make towels.
appearance of fabric prove that it’s not.
“The range of cotton products is enormous,” says Enrique. “As a
“Cotton is a natural product,” emphasises Enrique, “which spinner you have to make sure you use the right cotton for the
means that it is not uniform.” For example, in a batch of 28mm product you make. If not, your product would be sub-standard
cotton fibre, it can be expected that as much as 8% of the fibres or you could end up over-engineering your product, which will
will be shorter than 12mm. The spinning mill therefore tests increase your costs.”
the length, length distribution, strength, maturity, fineness and

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