The Mozambique Cotton Institute has set a target of producing 100,000 tons of raw cotton during the ongoing cotton season that has already begun, APA learns here.
State-run daily Noticias reports Monday that the target fixed by the Mozambican Cotton Institute is 46 percent, less than 184,000 tons of cotton produced during the previous season.
However, the Cotton Institute Director Norberto Mahalambe said that the reduced production expectations is not a matter of concern, as it is still higher than the long term estimations of 92,000 tons of raw cotton, Noticias reported.
Cotton production in Mozambique grew from 41,000 tons in 2010 to 65,000 in 2011 and reached 184,000 tons last year.
The splendid rise in 2012 production, which pushed the regionΆs average yield to 900 kg per hectare, is attributable to several factors including favourable weather conditions and a large number of farmers undertaking cotton cultivation.
Mahalambe said it is a challenge for them to maintain last seasonΆs yield levels in the current season, which would require them to continue supplying high-quality, certified and treated seeds and enhanced technical support to the producers.
As against last seasonΆs 298,000 families, around 250,000 families have engaged in cotton production this season, he added.
Noting that the cotton production volumes last season surprised the farmers as well as the cotton firms, and they failed to procure and transport the entire produce in time, Mr. Mahalambe assured that they would not allow re-occurrence of any such problems this year.
Speaking at an occasion recently, Mahalambe stated that raw cotton production in the country may reach record 200,000 tons per annum level by 2020.