New cotton company to generate huge employment

01 Jul '09

2 min read

The President of the recently commissioned Malawi Cotton Company, Mr. Bingu wa Mutharika said the company had the potential to provide employment to over 1,000 people and also increase economic activity in the township.

The investment by the Malawi-Mainland China bilateral partnership is worth US$25 million and the company will possibly help in setting up new small and medium businesses as entrepreneurs exploit job opportunities generated from the Chinese investment.

The project includes an up-to-date cotton ginnery, cooking oil extraction and textile manufacturing plants with residue processed into cotton seed cake all under one roof.

The Malawi government expects large benefits from the investment as besides a reliable market for by products like cheap cooking oil, cotton seedcake, textiles it would also generate a lot of taxes as well provide employment.

This business venture would provide an alternative market to the cotton growers, which would ensure remunerative prices for the cotton growers. At present, more than 300 people have been employed on the wages of K300 an 8 hour day while the minimum wage approved by the government is K167 an 8 hour day.

The company occupies 28 hectares of land will employ about 1000 people after starting full operations and will organize research on the cotton varieties suitable for the local environment. It also has distributed 45,000 sacks to the farmers for packaging of cotton.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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