A two-fold rise in Uganda’s cotton production during last fiscal indicates that the cotton sector of the country is on the path of revival.
Cotton production grew from 147,000 bales in 2010-11 to 254,036 bales during last fiscal that ended on June 30, 2012, according to official figures.
Cotton exports fetched US$ 48 million to the country during the year, according to the agriculture sector annual performance review report for 2011-12 tabled during the two-day sector evaluation workshop.
According to experts, the hike in output during last fiscal mainly stirred from attractive world market prices the previous year that inspired increasing number of farmers to undertake cotton cultivation.
As reduced supply resulted in low stocks during 2010, the commodity prices jumped from sh 900 per kg to historic highs of sh 1,600 per kg, backed by high demand.
Okassai Opolot, Director of Crop Production in the Agriculture Ministry, said though the area under cotton cultivation did not increase considerably, more farmers took to cotton cultivation mainly to cash in on the attractive prices.
An aggressive campaign launched for promoting cotton cultivation by way of providing good quality seeds and pesticides at reasonable rates, also contributed to increased production, he said.
The return of peace in northern Uganda, considered to be a cotton growing region, was also a factor for rise in cotton production, he added.
Improved situations are indicative that the cotton production in Uganda is recovering from the sharp slump experienced in output, mainly on account of a fall in global cotton prices.
Besides northern Uganda, Eastern and mid-western Uganda and Kasese are other major cotton producing regions of the country.
