Cotton Board Tanzania - Textile industries should be re-introduced for the country to benefit from cotton production, the Tanzania Cotton Board (TCB) has advised.
The TCB Director General, Mr Gabriel Mwalo, said in Dar es Salaam on Monday that seventy per cent of cotton produced in the country is exported in raw form, saying the revival of textile industries will facilitate value added product.
"The government should also provide cotton farmers with farming equipments to increase production volume," said Mr Mwalo while presenting a paper at the cotton stakeholders meeting.The meeting which was organized by the International Business and Trade Tanzania Initiative (IBUTTI) aimed at discussing the market of African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) expected to expire by 30 September 2015.
IBUTTI Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Deogratias Mbona said different AGOA beneficiaries would be meeting in Cape Town in South Africa on 9-12 April to discuss the extension of the market."The AGOA market offers a good number of opportunities but the number of local traders benefiting from the market is still minimal," he said.
He added that the goal of IBUTTI is to promote export and market plans for international markets while providing links and information, saying the non-governmental organization also provides Small and Medium Entrepreneurs with skills, know-how and confidence to excel in the international markets.Our trained international business and trade specialists mentor enterprises through various stages of preparing for this important phase and make them fit for the exports," he said.
Presenting a paper on SIDO's perspective on Natural Fibres Development in the country, Ms Nina Nchimbi, who is the Director of Marketing of Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO), said the textile industry faces shortage of experts in threading.But, he said SIDO was determined to help Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) to realize the existing opportunities.
By Ludovick Kazoka
Tanzania Daily News/05/03/2013