Cotton experts tip

Dec 10, 2004

EXPERTS have advised the government to consider zoning of cotton-producing areas.

By Josephine Maseruka

EXPERTS have advised the government to consider zoning of cotton-producing areas.

Appearing before the parliamentary committee on agriculture on Thursday, Jolly Sabune, the managing director of the Cotton Development Organisation said unless zoning was implemented, Uganda risked losing foreign investors in the cotton industry.

She said it would be unfair for an investor to inject funds in cotton production and sell it through middlemen.

Sabune said cotton farmers in a zone would sell their cotton to ginneries in the same zone to reduce transport costs.

This season, cotton prices have fallen from sh600 per kilogramme to sh300 due to over production.

Sabune said unless the government offered subsidies, global competition in the textile industry would not attract investors.

She cited other factors that affected investment as unstable electricity supply and the country being land-locked.

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