African producers lose from 5% to 30% of the value of cotton production each season because of contamination. Cotton provides cash incomes to an estimated 10 million people in western and central Africa and represents a significant portion of the export earnings of countries in the region.
WASHINGTON (Commodity Online):A three year anti-contamination drive in Cotton was completed in West Africa in March 2013, it involved 30,000 cotton farmers in Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Mali. The project was funded by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) and the European Union, sponsored by International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC).The project was managed by IFDC.
African producers lose from 5% to 30% of the value of cotton production each season because of contamination. Cotton provides cash incomes to an estimated 10 million people in western and central Africa and represents a significant portion of the export earnings of countries in the region.
The project provided training to producers, seed cotton handlers, truck drivers and ginners on best practice in the collection, storage, transportation and ginning of cotton. The project also facilitated greater traceability of cotton from field to gin to identify and eliminate sources of contamination. This project involved all actors in the value chain, not just farmers, and the project was conducted on a commercial scale, not just a pilot area. ICAC said.
Benefits to farmers from the elimination of contamination included increased revenue and reduced disputes over seed cotton grades at the time of procurement.
Videos accessibel from following link: https://vimeo.com/64073132
The video puts the problem of cotton contamination and its impacts in perspective, and highlights the tools and practices developed within the framework of the project to fight against contamination in all stages of the value chain, ICAC said in a press release.