Eastern and Southern Africa to collaborate with African Cotton and Textile Industry Alliance

According to the East Africa News, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa will cooperate with the African Cotton and Textile Industry Alliance on establishing a regional cotton and textile development strategy. The Secretary-General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa said that the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa should use regional market advantages to enhance the competitiveness of cotton and textiles by increasing farmers’ income and improving infrastructure. In addition, we should seize the favorable opportunities provided by the Economic Partnership Agreement and the African Growth Opportunities Act between the EU and the United States to promote COMESA cotton and textiles to the EU and US markets.
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The chairman of the African Cotton and Textile Industry Alliance said that the cooperation between the two organizations will bring opportunities to promote the development of the cotton textile industry in East and South Africa, increase farmers’ income and create jobs. In 2007, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and the African Cotton and Textile Industry Alliance signed a memorandum of understanding on promoting the development of private enterprises and increasing the added value of products.
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At present, the technical working group from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa has begun to formulate a development strategy for the cotton textile industry in Eastern and Southern Africa in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. The strategy will include the establishment of a complete production line and value chain from cotton ginning, spinning, clothing production to final products, etc. The main content is that the strategy is expected to be launched before the end of 2008.
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The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa is the main cotton export market in Africa, accounting for 11.5% of global exports. However, due to the backward development of the cotton textile industry in Eastern and Southern Africa, most of the cotton produced in the region is exported. This is not only detrimental to the development of the cotton textile industry in the region, but also creates an unfavorable development situation in which cotton textiles in the region are mainly dependent on imports. Therefore, how to seek regional cooperation to promote the development of the cotton textile industry in Eastern and Southern Africa and change the unfavorable situation of mainly relying on imports of textiles has become an important issue of common concern to all member countries of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.