Riopele Textile Factory May Reopen in March 2014 After a 10-Year Closure

Riopele textile factory, located in Marracuene town in the Mozambique's southern province of Maputo, may reopen in March 2014 after a 10-year closure, Armando Inroga, Minister of Industry and Trade has said, reports macauhub.

The assets of Riopele were acquired last year by the Mozambique Cotton Manufacturers (MCM), a consortium comprising of Mozambique's Intelec Holdings and Portugal's Mundotêxtil, Mundifios and Crispim Abreu.

MCM is now restoring machinery at Riopele textile factory, which produced yarn and fabric prior to its closure. It has already invested US$ 12 million to install spinning, weaving and dyeing equipment at the factory.

After visiting the textile factory, Mr. Inroga informed that the cotton for producing textiles at the factory would come from Guro in the central province of Manica, where a fibre processing and development project is being overseen by the Mozambican Cotton Institute.

The Minister said that the cotton from Guro would be brought to Marracuene for lab assessment, processing and then further use for manufacturing of yarn and fabric, which would be then sold to producers of textile products.

Mr. Inroga said the Government's aim is to have entire textile industry production line from growing cotton, to transforming it into yarn and fabric, and supply the same to the domestic market, enabling several new small and medium-sized companies to flourish.