While cotton growing and ginning is a top agricultural export industry in Tanzania, the sector has been struggling for the past 50 years. Two main factors have led to the stagnation in productivity in the cotton sector. One problem is a general lack of knowledge about how to best operate within the global industry, the other is a lack of cohesiveness between sector groups. Small cotton ginning operations compete with each other from year to year. This competition makes them unwilling to contract farmers for the long-term. Contract farming for the cotton sector in Tanzania has gained popularity. Contracts would give the farmers the training and knowledge needed to improve practices and output. Better agricultural practices, including the correct use of pesticides and improved cotton seeds, can significantly increase annual cotton production. This increase will improve the livelihoods of individual farmers and the industry overall.

A three-part contract farming model was developed within the past few years, involving local government, farmers and ginners. Each district helps farmers negotiate with ginners, advocating for the interests and needs of farmers. Farmers then make arrangements to supply one ginner with cotton and, in turn, the ginners provide training and other services to the farmers.

From shifts in shopping habits to evolving technology affecting the production and manufacturing processes, supply chains are being transformed across the world. But often this is at the expense of labor standards. Fashion’s business models are heaping immense pressure on labor standards across the industry’s vast supply chains. Business models are the distinguishing feature of certain brands such as Zara or Uniqlo, says Ethical Trading Initiative.

Fast fashion is an industry based on high volumes and low prices. Most companies rely on a huge web of suppliers, typically in low wage economies, that are able to bring them the scale and speed required for a social media-driven market. That speed is also the pain point for those suppliers, whose manufacturing offer brings in extremely low margins. When orders increase at speed, sometimes doubling overnight, these manufacturers then put extreme pressure on their workers to do unpaid overtime.

More broadly, the industry’s ethical problems go beyond labor issues. It is becoming increasingly important to consumers that brands they buy are thinking about their environmental output. Consumers are attracted to companies that believe in reducing plastics and improving the environment. Twenty per cent of young people’s fashion decisions in the UK are driven by perceptions of responsible behavior.

The RACOP 2-NW is Karl Mayer’s new raschel machine for nonwoven bonding. This efficient nonwoven machine processes fibrous webs to stitch-bonded nonwovens, and scores points by technological advantages. Unlike their chemically bonded counterparts, these nonwovens are elastic, voluminous and, thus, virtually textile. Moreover, the stitch-bonding process requires considerably less energy than thermal methods. In addition, the RACOP 2-NW has an excellent price-performance ratio and high flexibility. A RACOP 2-NW can produce a fabric in a gauge of E 14 intended for the application field of heating textiles.

The machine for the terry segment can produce a revolutionary textile novelty: a double-face warp-knitted terry fabric with a soft velour layer made from microfibers on the outer face, and an absorbent surface made from cotton on the inner side. This article for bathrobes is not only functional and stylish, it also shows the advantages in terms of environmental protection compared to woven counterparts, and this is due to the machine technology used for its manufacture.

Karl Mayer is a world market leader in textile machinery building. In 2014 Karl Mayer started a comprehensive investment program with the objective to strengthen the company’s production section in order to face challenges of the future.

Klopman will exhibit at Techtextil, Germany, May 14 to 17, 2019. Klopman is a European company in work wear fabrics. The company produced more than 1.5 million meters of sustainable fabrics in 2018.

Klopman’s K-Flame flame-retardant fabric is designed to offer resistance to heat, flames and welding as well as giving antistatic and electric arc protection. The K-Flame range has excellent performance in terms of breathability and absorption of body moisture. K-Flame XTRA 165 is the ultimate choice for warm, humid environments, as it has proven to be softer and more comfortable than other fabrics because it does not stick to the skin. The fabric also limits the risk of skin irritations reaching the highest values in working conditions and quickly absorbs sweat like no other in its category. The product is designed specifically for the needs of the petrochemical, chemical and metallurgical mining industry. The special inherent flame-retardant fiber guarantees prolonged resistance, without compromising on comfort and breathability even in the hottest climates.

Greenwear is another Klopman product range. Greenwear is produced by using polyester obtained from recycled plastic bottles. The Greenwear range is a concrete expression of the company’s attention to the environment and the investment in production that makes Klopman a pioneer in the production of sustainable fabrics for work wear.

The Italian textile industry has adopted blockchain in a big way. The technology enables use of a distributed database in management of shareable transactions between manifold nodes of a network. Every block of the chain tracks, monitors and authenticates the movements that concern it to make a network which guarantees the traceability of all transactions. The technology uses cryptographic tools in order to ensure the maximum security per individual transaction. Blockchain technology is aimed at supporting the made in Italy project, protect its uniqueness and quality such as certifying the supply chain thanks to the mechanism of the shared register which enables attaining maximum security regarding counterfeit stabs. In particular the traceability of the tanning and textile sector chain by the use of distributed ledger technology (DLT) will add something significant to protect the made in Italy goods. Some Italian companies have already started applying blockchain technology in their production chain.

The traceability of the supply chain, through the use of Blockchain technology, is expected to contribute to protecting the Made in Italy product, certifying its effective implementation in Italy, contributing to increasing consumer confidence, also creating conditions of transparency, guarantee for employment and environmental protection.

For the three months to March 31, Esprit sales were down 11.6 per cent in local currency on the same period a year earlier. However, it marks an improvement on the 12.4 per cent reduction in retail space occupied by the fashion brand.

While the quarter recorded a revenue decline, the rate of decline continues to narrow quarter-on-quarter, reflecting a positive trend of improvement. During the first quarter to September 30, sales declined 16.2 per cent, in the next quarter by 12.5 per cent and now to 11.6 per cent. The improvement was mainly driven by Germany which accounts for the largest share of the group’s sales. For Asia Pacific, the higher rate of revenue decline in the second quarter and third quarter was mainly due to the group exiting Australia and New Zealand, where all stores were closed by the end of last September as part of Esprit’s restructure.

The closure of loss-making stores will exert pressure on the company’s topline in the short term, and as other initiatives are still work-in-progress at this stage, it will require time to make the corresponding improvements in brand and product visible to customers for attracting them back into Esprit stores.

Texcoat G4 is Baldwin Technology’s new precision application system for fabric finishing. This confers major benefits in terms of resource efficiency and sustainable production. The system enables a continuously high quality and productive textile finishing process with zero chemistry waste and drastically reduced water and energy consumption. The innovation drastically improves both the process and product quality, while saving time, valuable resources and contributing to a sustainable future. The non-contact spray technology brings numerous advantages compared to conventional methods of applying finishing chemistry. The chemistry is uniformly distributed across the textile surface and is applied only where it is required – on one or both sides of the fabric. This is highly beneficial when applying water repellants on laminated fabrics, as it eliminates the problem of chemistry affecting the quality of the adhesion layer. Further, the non-contact technology eliminates chemistry dilution in wet-on-wet processes, allowing full control of maintaining consistent chemistry coverage rates. Additionally, with no bath contamination during the finishing process, there is zero downtime during color or fabric changeovers.

The TexCoat G4 can process a wide range of low-viscosity water-based chemicals, such as water-repellants, softeners, anti-microbials and more, in wet-on-wet applications and lamination processes. Additionally, the system is completely sealed, encapsulating all aerosols and thereby securing a healthy working environment for the operator.

India is made a strong presence at Hong Kong Gifts and Premium Fair, April 27 to 30, 2019. Nearly 40 Indian exhibitors are showcasing innovative and exquisite gifts and premium products like handcrafted decorated premium gifts, souvenirs, lifestyle accessories, cotton scarves, necklaces, picture frames, boxes, pen stands, note books, shawls and stoles, handmade paper products, jute, cotton, canvas bags, women’s hand bags,, leather hand bags, Christmas decoratives, wooden decorative artware, stationery, table tops, grocery bags, and decorative journals etc. The handicrafts sector occupies an important place in the Indian economy. It is a large foreign exchange earner, an employment generator for economically and socially backward classes and a promoter of Indian ethnic and cultural heritage worldwide.

Hong Kong Gifts and Premium Fair is the largest fair of its kind in the world and an effective platform for designers, manufacturers and wholesalers to make new business opportunities. More than 4300 exhibitors from 35 countries and regions are participating in the fair including group pavilions from China, Italy, Korea, Macau, Taiwan, Thailand and India. On display are corporate gifts, fashion accessories, green gifts, picture and photo frames, toys and sporting goods, beauty, health and wellness products, watches and clocks and luxury and premium gifts.

Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada (ATSC) 2019 will take place from August 19 to 21 in Toronto and August 23 in Montreal. This is a must-attend event for Canadian and northeast US industry representatives to connect with hundreds of factories from around the world under one roof. The show is one of Canada’s most significant B2B events, consistently delivering year-over-year growth, thanks to its unique merger of spring/summer and fall/winter merchandise into a single once-per-year trade show. Ambassadors, trade commissioners, export councils and private sector representatives from more than 20 countries come together with thousands of apparel and textile industry representatives, from C-Level executives to SMEs and start-ups.

The show has proved to be an excellent venue, providing a unique platform for many small and medium-sized enterprises to make important connections with Canadian buyers. New to ATSC 2019 will be a range of first-time offerings, from expanded product variety and a new wholesale supplier section, to the latest in fashion technology, eco-friendly textiles and sustainable supply chains. With a global shift in consumer preferences and social consciousness, speakers will provide important updates on sustainability, in addition to repairing fragmented supply chains and trade, importing and exporting issues. This year’s seminar series will provide valuable resource options to move bulk merchandise in and out of the Canadian market by leveraging cross-border e-commerce platforms and other omni-channel solutions.

Challenge Apparels will establish a state-of-the-art garment manufacturing facility in Pakistan to enhance its exports and help generate thousands of new jobs in the country over the next couple of years.

Challenge Apparels is among the leading exporters to top brands around the world, especially in developed countries. Pakistan is facilitating investors through various reforms and hopes to benefit from the US-China trade war. If businessmen from China bring fabrics to Pakistan for making the finished products, and export those to the US, then they will not only able to maintain their client base but Pakistan will also benefit.

Enabling Chinese textile exports this way will give a boost to Pakistan’s exports and deal with the balance of payments situation. When Chinese businessmen carry out their exports jointly with Pakistan, making use of the raw materials as well as Pakistan’s human resources, it will add to the earnings of Pakistan.

Also China is helping Pakistan’s spinning mills become more cost efficient and competitive. Almost 80 per cent of the yarn and other textile products will be re-exported to China for value addition to sell the finished goods at better prices in the international market.