Uganda: Bleak Future for Organic Cotton
Ibrahim Kasita 23 February 2010, From AllAfrica.com
Kampala — A BLEAK market for organic cotton is making it hard to pay farmers high prices as it was purported, confirming fears that the venture was not economically viable at least for now.
Latest figures issued by the Global Organic Exchange indicate that 35,000 tonnes (about 160,754 bales) of organic cotton is among the unsold stock of cotton, which is yet to find buyers.
“In addition, a number of farmers had planted vast acreage of organic cotton on speculation and in response to what had appeared to be a healthy, burgeoning marketplace,” laments the report.
“As a result, unsold stocks which represent between 17 and 22% of production (some 30,000 to 35,000 tonnes (or 137,789 to 160,754 bales) of organic cotton has yet to find buyers.”
The report confirms concerns raised by the Cotton Development Organisation (CDO) that farmers especially in the north had been forced to grow organic cotton yet the yields and the income does not help in fighting household poverty.
CDO explained that enmasse introduction of organic cotton was suffocating the industry and impoverishing the farmers.
It said there was a need to train and sensitise the farmers as well as compensate them for the losses incurred. The Organic Exchange body called for the organic promoters to respect their contract commitments.
“2008-09 was a year of challenges for the organic cotton sector,” noted Simon Ferrigno, the Organic Exchange farm development team manager and lead author of the report.
“But also one that highlights the need to improve recordkeeping, forecasting, pricing and communication systems and gain more firm commitments and contracts.”
In order to ensure that the farmers do not lose out, Henry Bagire, the agriculture state minister, advised them to spray their cotton fields with pesticides to control pests and diseases.
“A farmer who sprays his cotton garden with the pesticides earns five times more compared to those practising organic cotton farming,” he said.
“An acre of conventional cotton yields between 1,500kg and 2,000kg, while one gets about 150kg from an organic cotton garden of the same size.
“This is unfair to farmers. You should watch out for those who want to exploit you,” the minister stated.
With conventional cotton growing, farmers use synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, while in organic cotton farming, farmers rely on natural inputs without using pesticides or fertilisers.
This results into low yields because the crop is highly susceptible to pests and diseases, the minister added.
International Cotton Advisory Committee(ICAC) has recently also affirmed that organic production practices are complex and require extensive research and training for successful implementation. ICAC provides statistics on world cotton production.
From the comments, with thanks from the Pundit;
Dr. Tribe,
You forgot to mention that the organic industry preys on the vulnerable in Africa with no remorse whatsoever. They lie and cheat, and in Uganda’s economy, those are literally life-and-death issues. These crooks ought to be hauled before a world tribunal to answer to crimes against humanity.
Uganda: Country’s Annual Cotton Output Falling
New Vision
15 February 2008
“The Cotton Development Organisation (CDO) accuses ginners of forcing farmers into organic cotton growing without adequately preparing them.”
Switch to organic cotton in Uganda encounters set backs African Agriculture
February 11, 2008
“An investigation in the affected growing districts found out that farmers were forced into organic cotton growing after the buying companies threatened not to buy conventional cotton, promising a premium for organic crop.”
Cotton Development Organisation (CDO)
August 2002
“First of all, most of the registered farmers that grow organically, and are certified by foreign inspectors, are not able to sell their organic produce to the projects at organic premium prices. Only some 15% of all organic cotton produced and certified in the project areas is in effect being bought at organic premium prices. The other 85% of
farmers may aspire to sell their produce at an organic premium price, but in the end they have to sell their certified organic produce at conventional seed cotton prices to conventional cotton traders.”
