Tanzanian cotton industry facing number of challenges

03 Oct '12

4 min read

As I have said above the low level of production recoded was partly attributed to low prices in the previous season but low production growth of the cotton industry continued to be affected by a number of challenges including the following:-

• Inadequate extension services which limit productivity to only 750 kilograms per hectare as compared to the world’s average of 2000kg/ha.

• Poor cotton quality;

• Continued inadequate local processing of lint into textiles and apparel;

• Low level of expenditure in research development activities;

• Poor infrastructure in particular feeder roads and cotton storage facilities at village level;

• Inadequate resources for the TCB to spearhead issues of cotton promotion and development;

A number of steps have continued to be taken to alleviate the problems, among them include the following: -

• Finalise the introduction of contract farming for cotton, an arrangement which has been piloted in Musoma and Bunda districts since 2008/09 and some parts of Bariadi district in 2009/10 farming season respectively so that this starts in all cotton growing areas come season 2011/12

• Continuing with a program that helps in conservation agriculture and development of a strong textile sector financed by Gatsby Trust Foundation of UK with the eventual intent of increasing productivity and value addition.

The history of Tanzania Cotton Board goes back to 1952 when the Lint and Seed Marketing Board of Tanganyika (LSMB) was formed by the Lint and Seed Marketing Ordinance with the main function of marketing cotton lint from Tanganyika.

Tanzania Cotton Board (TCB)

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