African cotton growers explore Indian textile industry

02 Jan '14

2 min read

A three-member team from the African continent visited India last month to understand the requirements of the Indian textile industry.

Dioma Komonsira, communications manager of African Cotton Producers Association (APROCA), Traore Karim, president of the National Union of Cotton Producers in Burkina Faso, and Balde N’Dila, vice president of the National Federation of Cotton Producers in Senegal, visited India under a mission for promoting African cotton, initiated by the International Cotton Trade (ICT), a joint agency of World Trade Organisation and the United Nations.

Global apparel firms want that cotton producers in West Africa ensure regular supply of African cotton to India, from where they source garments, according to Mr. Karim, as per a report in The Hindu Business Line.

He said the area under cotton in Burkina Faso has increased by 680 acres this season compared to the earlier season.

Similarly, the representative from Senegal said that cotton area has increased this season in his country, where cotton sowing has just begun.

The visiting delegation met representatives of the Indian Cotton Federation (ICF), formerly the South India Cotton Association (SICA), in Coimbatore, which expects to set up a direct linkage between the Indian buyers and the cotton growers/ginners in Africa.

ICF president J Thulasidharan said the association intends to establish a better trade relationship with African cotton producers.

For establishing a direct linkage with cotton growers and ginners in Africa, the ICF sought details about the volume of production, government regulations, shipment duration, logistics, and the need for organizing a buyer-seller meet in Africa.

Mr. Thulasidharan said textile mills in southern India can benefit from African cotton, as it is the next best alternative to Gujarat cotton, which is required for making knitted yarn.

The state of Tamil Nadu produces only about 2.5 percent of cotton requirement of knitted yarn manufacturers in the state, and the rest is sourced from other states, mostly from Gujarat.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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