Non-availability of land threatens cotton production in Africa – Producers

The Association of African Cotton Producers (AProCA) on Thursday said the non- availability of land for increased cotton production was a great challenge facing farmers in the industry.

Mr Payouni Bebnone, Vice President of AProCA, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said other challenges included low price of the commodity and high price of inputs for farming.

AProCA is an African organisation of cotton producers established in December 2004 to represent cotton producers and defend their interest at regional and international levels.

It promotes the improvement of productivity and quality of African cotton to maintain its competitiveness.

Mr Bebnone said some African Governments were doing their best to provide an enabling environment for increased cotton production.

“There should be more subventions from governments to improve and re-vamp the cotton sector,” he added.

Mr Mohammed Adam Nashiru, President of Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, said government was instituting plans to woo investors to invest in the sector.

He announced that cotton farmers in Ghana would benefit from government’s subsidy on fertilizer to increase cotton production.

Mr Nashiru called on government to motivate cotton farmers to get into large cotton production with inputs like tractors and combined harvesters.

He appealed to government to increase tariffs on the importation on fabric and textiles to deter importers from importing, so that cotton farmers could provide for the local textile industry.

Mr Francois Traore, Chairman of AProCA, said the association currently is made up of 15-member countries including Benin, Cote d’lvoire, the Gambia, Mali, Uganda, Chad, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon and Zambia.

Source: GNA