Cotton is a soft, fluffy natural fiber harvested from the cotton plant. It grows in a protective capsule-cotton seed. The plant is a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, Africa, India, and Pakistan. It is an important source of income worldwide. According to the National Cotton Council of America rankings, the total international cotton trade is estimated to be $12 billion. The largest exporters of raw cotton are the United States, with sales of $4.9 billion, and Africa, with sales of $2.1 billion.

Uses

Cotton fiber is often spun into yarn or thread which is used to make clothes and a number of textile products.
The cottonseed which remains after the cotton is ginned is used to produce oil.
The cottonseed residue is used as livestock feed.


FCI initiatives

In a bid to optimize the above benefits, FCI, in conjunction with FAO researched on the commonly processed and traded cotton products, their quality, pricing, packaging and marketing. The study also identified the key actors, their roles, business strategies and activities.
Findings confirmed that cotton is used as indicated above. Cotton in Africa is mainly grown in Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania as a cash crop. It is mostly grown by numerous smallholders who sell to ginneries thorough purchasing agents.
In Kenya Cotton is grown in Nyanza, Western, Coast, Central, Eastern and Rift Valley provinces under rain fed conditions. In addition, the government has set up various irrigation schemes in different parts of the country to boost cotton production. (Cotton Development Authority).
In Kenya, ginners source seed cotton (from farmers through agents), process and sell it to industrial buyers, mainly textile companies, oil and animal feed processors.
FCI identified key stakeholders and opinion leaders in potential cotton producing zones, mobilized and encouraged them to increase cotton production. For a start, they were evolved into fully-registered commercial blocs governed by laws. There was need to facilitate farmers with funds to kick start production.

Other challenges in cotton production are:

Regional cotton production is faced with problems such as inadequate marketing, processing inefficiency, shortage of inputs, low quality seeds, poor land preparation, pests, lack of farmer knowledge and inadequate technical support.

The privatization of the cotton industry in Kenya in 1991 and the subsequent collapse of the Cotton Board of Kenya (CBK) in 1992 have partly contributed to the current problems in the cotton industry. While in existence, the board provided farmers with pesticides, and regulated cotton prices. This ensured that farmers' produce was bought at guaranteed prices. Currently, there has been an influx of exploitative brokers. Consequently, returns on investments have reduced, with most farmers dropping out of production. Some organized themselves into producer and marketing groups to facilitate access to the ginneries. 85% of ginners have closed down due to inadequate supply. The 15% who are still operational are considering importation and alternative sources.
To restore the vibrancy of the cotton sector, FCI has collaborated with other organizations to implement various projects. On of such was the cotton and textile development programme which was implemented in Tanzania by Gatsby Trust in collaboration with FCI. The project targets to increase cotton production from the 750 kgs per hectare to 1, 500 kgs per hectare by 2015. Among other things, this project has led to the revival of the Bio sustain Tanzania Ltd ginnery, which was closed in the 1990s. The ginnery now serves Dodoma, Singida, Tabora, Shinyanga, Manyara and Morogoro regions. Singida regional commissioner Parseko Kone estimates that this will increase Tanzania’s cotton yields in 2011 by 4%.

In 2010, Kenya processed 49,000 bales of cotton, more than double the output in 2009, when it produced 23,000 bales (United States Department of Agriculture data). 80% of farmers returned to cotton farming in 2010. (Cotton Development Authority-CODA).

FCI is looking into the possibility of introducing contract farming — agricultural production carried out according to an agreement between a buyer and farmers — is expected to improve output. According to Rural Livelihood Development Company (RLDC) chief executive officer Charles Ogutu, “Cotton can compete with other crops such as cashew nuts, tea and coffee in generating incomes. For example, organic cotton production by smallholders will ensure them long-term returns without reinvesting,” he adds.

FCI is also researching on ways to improve cotton production, distribution, access to credit facilities and the viability of organic cotton farming, all aimed at increased cotton production.