Cotton counted as third most important traditional export crop has registered a decline of sixty percent due to poor weather condition, informed Dr. Joe Kabissa, Director General for Tanzania Cotton Lint Board (TCLB).
He said that draught combined with short rain had ruined cotton crop and their projection of 405,000 tons had to be revised to 127, 771 tons. Country produced 376, 591 tons of cotton during previous year.
Kabissa feared that even local industries will not have enough for them, forget about availability for exports.
Purchase price this season has been the highest in the last forty years with price shooting to 500 per kg, a steep surge of 55 percent. Prices have shot up purely due to demand and supply factor.
Developing markets like Indonesia, China, Thailand, Pakistan and Malaysia form 85% market share of cotton export of Tanzania.
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