Representatives of cotton sector from Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia arrived in the western Turkish province of Izmir under the United Nations International Trade Center (ITC) organization on Monday.

The 12-member delegation led by Richard Parwot, a member of the Ugandan Federation of National Cotton Growers, will visit cotton fields, scutcher and thread factories in Izmir.

Jak Eskinazi, deputy chairman of the Association of Aegean Textile Exporters, told a joint news conference with African delegation, "increasing demand caused a sharp rise in prices. Turkey has a potential to produce nearly 1 million tons of cotton. Both Turkey and African nations should increase their cotton production."

He added, "the Turkish Airlines (THY) has already begun direct flights to Uganda and Tanzania. This is a great opportunity for us."

Parwot, on his part, said that there were 2 million hectares of arable field in Uganda which have never been used before, and called on Turkish investors to cooperate with them.