There  is immense potential for increased cotton production in Luano because the district has favourable climatic conditions that support cultivation of the cash crop. Central Province Permanent Secretary Chanda Kabwe said Luano needs to be opened up for investment to promote growing of cotton and value addition.

Mr Kabwe said Government is making efforts to improve the state of roads in Luano to encourage investors and local farmers to enhance production of cash crops like cotton. “There is so much potential in Luano for cotton production. The problem of roads will be solved,” Mr Kabwe said. “We are connecting the area to the national grid and there is need for farmers to grow more cotton in the district.”

Mr Kabwe said recently when he visited Grafax Cotton (Z) Limited in Chibombo that Government is encouraging growing of cotton and urged the private sector to come on board to add value to the crop. Grafax Cotton (Z) Limited is involved in lint production and is supporting about 30,000 farmers in the country who are producing 8,000 tonnes of cotton per season.

Mr Kabwe commended Grafax Cotton (Z) Limited for investing in Central Province, which he said has a favourable investment environment. And Central Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Felix Mang’wate said it is unfortunate that Zambia exports its raw materials which can be processed locally.

“We are still exporting our products in raw form but we need to move a step further to add value to them,” Mr Mang’wate said. He said value addition to cotton will increase the number of farmers who grow the crop, thereby creating employment in the cotton value chain. Grafax Cotton (Z) Limited director Sajal Agarwal said the company is committed to supporting farmers to grow cotton through schemes. Mr Agarwal said Grafax Cotton (Z) Limited provides seed and supports farmers with extension services so that they can produce good quality cotton.

“We do contract-farming of selected farmers and we provide inputs to them. The advantage for such farmers is that everything is made available for them by the doorstep,” he said. Mr Agarwal said much as cotton is a capital and labourintensive cash crop, prospects of value addition to it are there in Zambia. He urged Government to provide incentives aimed at increasing production of cotton and support growth of the textile industry to promote value addition to cotton.