Led by Marco Charles Mtunga, Director General, a delegation from the Tanzania Cotton Board recently visited the Karachi Cotton Association to promote their shared interests and explore more opportunities for exporting cotton from Tanzania.
During the meeting, KCA officials expressed concerns about the quality of cotton being imported from Tanzania and the packaging of the cotton bales. Furthermore, they pointed out to challenges related to tracking the origin and ensuring sustainable practices, which local importers faced when buying raw cotton from Tanzania.
Mtunga assured the KCA members of addressing these issues with the Tanzanian Government to resolve them in the best interest of Pakistani cotton importers.
He explained, Cotton production in Tanzania was mainly driven by small-scale farmers, with the Shinyanga and Mwanza regions being the largest cotton-growing areas. On average, the country cultivates cotton on about a 400,000 acre farm every year. However, the amount of cotton produced per acre is lower compared to the global average, Mtunga added.
Dependent mostly on rainfall, this cotton cultivation is affected by weather conditions, the prices farmers receive, and the availability of farming supplies, agricultural advice, and new technologies. Jahangir Moghul, Vice Chairman, KCA notes, after reaching a high of 14.26 million bales in 2004-05, Pakistan's cotton production gradually decreased each year. As a result, the local textile industry is forced to import raw cotton to meet its increasing needs.
