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West Africa How Cotton South Africa Can Assist You Grading and classification services Cotton SA’s Quality Control Division operates one of only three certified International Cotton Association (ICA- Bremen) classing laboratories in the world. This enables Cotton SA to offer accurate HVI testing services of a high standard to anyone in the world requiring such services. This stamp of approval from the ICA-Bremen serves as a confirmation of Cotton SA’s continuous efforts since 1987 to provide first class grading and classification services to the cotton industry and it is Cotton SA’s mission to continue to uphold this proud standard of quality assurance within the international cotton environment taking into consideration the aims and contract sanctity values of ICA-Bremen. Cotton SA’s Quality Control Division uses the latest state of the art High Volume Instruments (HVI) testing systems and amongst others also participates in the Commercial Standardization of Instrument Testing of Cotton (CSITC) to ensure the commercial standardization of cotton instruments. This ensures that the analysis and repetition of HVI-results are in line with international norms and specifications so that test results can be executed correctly and accurately. As there is consensus in the international cotton fraternity that instrument (objective) testing of cotton is the preferable method of classing cotton, it is of utmost importance that the region 20 JANUARY - MARCH 2016
West Africa embarks on a programme to adopt HVI testing as the method of choice when it comes to classing cotton. It is within this environment that the Quality Control Division of Cotton SA can offer an essential service and provide a complete quality profile of the cotton tested, allowing spinners to use their cotton on a more cost efficient basis. HVI fibre testing also provides useful information to seed breeders, enabling them to produce cotton cultivars with characteristics desired by the spinning industry. Instrument testing also enables cotton producers and ginners to sell their cotton based on reliable and internationally accepted results. It enhances the price fetched on the market and subsequently leads to improved market access. It goes without saying that it is essential for producers, processors and traders to know exactly what the processing performance and the quality of the fibres they are dealing with, are. Training and transfer of technology Against the background of its accepted credibility in the cotton industry, the Quality Control Division is also ideally positioned to present training courses pertaining to fibre testing and technology including the grading and classification of cotton. These training courses have successfully been presented for many years not only to South African role-players but also to participants from various other countries in Africa. Cotton SA is currently in the process to expand its training curriculum to also include the interpretation of the HVI results and how to use this as a tool in the marketing or further processing of cotton. Evolution and Outlook for the Cotton Sector in the CFA Zone BY GÉRALD ESTUR Gérald Estur Overview of the Cotton Sector in the CFA Zone Cotton is produced in 11 out of the 14 countries of the African Franc Zone which including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. The zone accounts for more than half of the total cotton output in Africa. The “white gold” is a vital cash crop for smallholder farmers, providing employment and incomes to millions of people. It contributes to poverty alleviation and food security and is an important source of foreign exchange earnings. Production is labor intensive, using manual or ox-drawn implements and relatively few chemical inputs. All seedcotton is handpicked. Production is homogeneous due to the low number of seed varieties, primarily medium-long cotton, suitable for processing fine ring spun combed yarns). The crop is grown on some two million small-scale family farms, is exclusively rainfed and most producing areas are landlocked (as far as 1,500 kilometers from the West African coast). Cotton has benefited from long term investment in structured national commodity chains, vertically integrated from farm to gin. Altogether there are 12 cotton ginning companies and about 100 US made saw-gins in the eight major producing countries of the CFA zone. In contrast with their counterparts from Eastern and Southern Africa, CFA cotton benefit from a panseasonal and pan-territorial minimum guaranteed price for seed cotton announced before planting. JANUARY - MARCH 2016 21
Page 1 and 2: ISSUE No.1 • JANUARY - MARCH 2016
Page 3 and 4: Contents January - March 2016 04 02
Page 5 and 6: Word From the Executive Director I
Page 7 and 8: Trade and investment ‘With a ten-
Page 9 and 10: Trade and investment TPP is Conclud
Page 11 and 12: Trade and investment Seychelles is
Page 13 and 14: Sustainable trade Climate Change an
Page 15 and 16: Sustainable trade SCAP 2020 targets
Page 17 and 18: Sustainable trade Reduce Barriers t
Page 19 and 20: Opinion and analysis Figure 2: Nitr
Page 21: Opinion and analysis lems with elec
Page 25 and 26: West Africa Exports Cotton exports
Page 27 and 28: Trade xxxxxxxx features ing that su
Page 29 and 30: East Africa one area where SITA can
Page 31 and 32: East Africa Ethiopia Unchained JOZE
Page 33 and 34: East Africa the Indian entrepreneur
Page 35 and 36: Analysis China’s Economy is Losin
Page 37 and 38: ACTIF@10 xxxxxxxx The Conception Th
Page 39 and 40: ACTIF@10 xxxxxxxx ORIGIN AFRICA 201
Page 41 and 42: ACTIF LIST OF MEMBERS AS AT JANUARY

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