Ethiopia envisions becoming a manufa cturing hub of Africa by 2025 bearing in mind the huge potential of natural resources and young demographic base. The nation has launched a cotton development strategy to utilize its cotton potential and to speed up the translation of export-oriented manufacturing industry policy. However, the produce couldn’t fulfill local market demand due to many challenges.
What does the potential of cotton resource in Ethiopia look like? How is supporting to the garment and textile industry? What are the challenges hampering to the cotton agriculture? What should the government and pertinent stakeholders do to modernize and enhance the sector? Ethiopia has designed Cotton Development Strategy which would be implemented from 2018-2032 in a bid to improve cotton production so as to support the textile and garment manufacturing sector, says Tewodros Belachew, head of a consulting firm called Enterprise Partners.
He states that though there is a huge cotton plantation potential, the nation could not able to ensure enough cotton production which could fulfill the growing demand of Ethiopian textile industries. Researches show that there is more than 3 million hectare land in Ethiopia that could be suitable for cotton plantation. But out of this, only 3 percent of it has been utilized.
Tewodros underscores that the cotton development strategy being designed will focus on creating healthy cotton marketing environment, improving cotton production and upgrading quality to higher level. ‘‘This strategy is very ambitious. It was planned to boost produce and production. To realize this goal, strong institutional structure would be formed. The strategy has five major objectives. But, its main mission is producing sufficient cotton production which could feed local industries. Beyond that it aimed to enhance export trade as well,’’ he points out.
Currently, Ethiopia produces up to 60,000 tons of cotton. Nevertheless, since it is not enough to satisfy local consumption, the nation has been obliged to import up to 38,000 tons. This indicates that chronic cotton shortage is hampering the textile industry sector. The head highlighted that cotton disease was among the many challenges which have been affecting cotton production in Ethiopia. Although the government has been spraying insecticides to alleviate ball warm (which is blamed to the destruction of cotton), fruitful results have not yet gained.
For his part, Daniel Tesfalem, Agriculture Lecturer at Jimma University says disease resistant specialized cotton is vital to improve produce and quality of cotton. He insists that Ethiopia has brought 36 specialized cotton crops from abroad, but still they are not being used by the ministry of agriculture and other concerned bodies. As to him, the other factor for reduction of cotton production is lack of water. Thus, exploiting ground and surface water to enhance cotton agriculture would be taken as major priority.
He adds that mechanized way of producing cotton will alleviate shortages and it will also improve quality. The lecturer urges the government, researchers and other stakeholders to find solutions for the stagnant cotton sector to facilitate the manufacturing oriented economy.
Ethiopia has constructed many industrial parks in different parts of the country. Among them are garment and textile industries. Taking this success story into consideration, cotton production should be maximized. The challenges being noticed in cotton agriculture need to be sorted out and should be given immediate solution.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday Edition, November 17/2019
BY TSEGAY HAGOS
