Agriculture generates around 23.6% of the country’s GDP and employs over 68% of its population with cotton growing as the number three largest earner after coffee
and tea in Uganda and the sector supports over 200,000 households. Cotton is one of the traditional cash crops grown in Uganda, used both as an export good and as a raw
material for the domestic textile and edible oil industries.
Currently most of the cotton grown Uganda comes from farmers from the districts of Kasese, Arua, Hoima and Masindi.The project aims at growing the sector in Pader
and entire Acholi Ranches areas because of availability of over 50,000 acres(plus).
In terms of choice of location of the proposed cotton industry and entire infrastructure, Pader is actually centrally placed and has potential that can serve Southern Sudan, Northern Kenya Corridor, Northern Uganda, Central and Western Uganda and there is plenty of space for expansion.
Muis Investment Limited a local company in partnership of with NuEnergy Giga Power Technology Africa and international funders and technology partners intends to revamp and provide solutions to the ailing entire cotton industry and maximize in terms of production and the entire chain in terms of value addition to the end products.
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The Proposed Cotton industry can be categorized into 4 major industries.
1. Farming and cultivation of cotton.(production of raw cotton for
ginning and stalk for bio fuel and pulp)
2. Cotton processing plants in terms of :
• Ginneries for lint and wool.
• cotton seed processing
• Animal feeds.
• Paper pulp and boards plant.
• other by production lines e.g soap, medical products etc of various byproducts.
3. Modern Textile industry plants and production lines(capacity of 2million (plus daily of various textile products based in the conversion of three types of fiber into yarn, then fabric, then textiles.
These are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. These are:
• Yarn Manufacturing or Spinning.
• Fabric Manufacturing or Weaving.
• Dyeing, Printing & Finishing
• Garments Manufacturing or Clothing
4. Cotton products and textile Industrial park or center for other textile industries consumers (300acres)
• Cottage industries.
• Textile industries.
• Fashion and design firms.
• Leather industries
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Importance of cotton
Cotton is essentially produced for its fibre, which is universally used as a textile raw material. Cotton is an important commodity in the world economy. Grown in more
than 100 countries, cotton is a heavily traded agricultural commodity, with over 150 countries involved in exports or imports of cotton.
All parts of the cotton plant are useful. The most important is the fiber or lint, which is used in making cotton cloth. … The stalks and leaves of the cotton plant are plowed under to
enrich the soil. Some cottonseed also is used as high-protein concentrate in baked goods and other food products.
All parts of the cotton plant are useful. The most important is the fiber or lint, which is used in making cotton cloth. Linters – the short fuzz on the seed – provide cellulose for making
plastics, explosives and other products. Linters also are incorporated into high quality paper products and processed into batting for padding mattresses, furniture and automobile cushions.
The cottonseed is crushed in order to separate its three products – oil, meal and hulls.
Cottonseed.
Cottonseed oil is used primarily for shortening, cooking oil and salad dressing. The meal and hulls that remain are used either separately or in combination as livestock, poultry and
fish feed and as fertilizer. The stalks and leaves of the cotton plant are plowed under to enrich the soil.
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PROBLEM STATEMENT AND MEASURES TO BE TAKEN IN COTTON INDUSTRY.
Like any other cash crop, the challenge in the Cotton industry to the major 3
cotton processes has been:-
• Luck of appropriate and timely Funding for operation costs in terms of ploughing, farming inputs, modern machinery, purchasing power from farmers, modern processing plants in terms of ginneries, textile production and garments assembly lines. etc.
• Low yields of around 620kgs per acre instead of 2-3 tons per hectare.
• Unreliable power and high Cost of power over usd.14 per kwh and luck of power distribution lines in the cotton growing areas.
• Lack of good roads and other general infrastructure to support industry.
• Availability of adequate and reliable water supply especially during drought season and growing season that is very important.
• Quality products due to Existing Old Technology in terms of farming, ginneries and textile industry that are old and not efficient and are outdated and need total replacement.
• Emphasis of Value addition and Introduction of High capacity Mechanized cotton processes by putting up machinery of high capacities e.g. 1000tonnes per day ginnery, 500 tonnes per day seed oil processing plant and textile production and processing lines of various finished garments of more than 2 million pieces per day etc.
• Adequate and modern Skills requirements from agricultural extension services, ginneries and other textile assembly lines in terms of specialization and handling need upgrade and support research and development center.
• Pricing really discourages growth on various cotton industry where farmers are lowly paid (USA dollars cents.6 while world market prices are at usd 1.3 per kg of cotton) including lint ,wool products, animal feeds, cotton oil and textiles garments prices in general.
• Storage and handling from farming areas to ginneries and textile garments has been a challenge and there is need to put up modern warehouses and machinery to handle the entire process.
• Logistics in terms of Transportation from farm inputs, ginned products and to final markets destinations and needs to be well defined and supported with high ICT programs, infrastructure and distribution vehicles.
• Markets for various cotton products are poor because of low purchasing power and there is need to expand export markets abroad that has to be supported by high quality production of various garments and also own brand names that will compete with GUCHI etc.