MoZaZiMa presentation to

19th COS-coton Meeting and

2nd Steering Committee Meeting of the Support Programme for the consolidation of the Action Framework under the EU-Africa

Partnership on Cotton

 

ACP House 2 – 3 July 2014

Brussels

 

1. Introduction• MoZaZiMa is a Cotton regional cooperation among four

countries; Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. • With the help of ITC through funding provided under the

EC – ALL ACP Agriculture Commodities Programme (AAACP), the stakeholders have agreed to cooperate on the regional cotton to clothing strategy as elaborated by COMESA and ACTIF.

• MoZaZiMa is based on the following 6 priority areas:– Increasing cotton production and productivity– Improving cotton quality and classification – Improving trade and marketing of cotton– Institutional capacity building along the value chain– Promote value addition of cotton–Develop policy advocacy and partnerships

2. Activities Implemented

Meeting held on 27th February, 2014 in Malawi to discuss the MoZaZiMa activity plan for 2014 , its role and visibility in the forthcoming significant regional events.

Hosted a Cotton and Textile Investment Conference in Maputo on 26th May, 2014

to attract and retain investors to the value chain both as a sourcing and consuming market.

2. Activities ImplementedUnder the EU-ACP Partnership on Cotton, the FAO

facilitated the training of trainers course on cotton Integrated Production and Pest Management Farmer Field Schools in Zambia from 3rd February to 28th March, 2014.

The training workshop drew 30 participants from the Cotton Board of Zambia, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Cargill Cotton Zambia Limited, Grafax Cotton Limited, Cotton Association of Zambia, Mumbwa Farmers’ Ginning and Pressing Company Limited and Alliance Ginning Limited.

The follow up training will be conducted in September, 2014.

2. Activities ImplementedHosted the 12th SEACF meeting in Maputo from 17th to 18th June, 2014 under the Theme “Making cotton a profitable and sustainable business”. Research results and efforts were shared on achievements and developments relating to the theme.

2. Activities Implemented

Member countries met to consolidate the MoZaZiMa structure and cooperation role within the region.

Annual MoZaZiMa meeting – 19th June , 2014

2. Activities Implemented Handloom development project

in Zambia

As a result of training events facilitated by ITC under funding from EDF 9, a farmer owned Ginnery was established in Zambia 2012. 30% of the lint from the Ginnery will be span into yarn by Mukuba Textiles Factory and used in the Handloom clusters that will be established as a pilot in Zambia and replicated in the MoZaZiMa region under EDF 10 funding.

The introduction of intensive low cost fiber transformation technologies such as the Handloom will foster cotton value addition in the region.

2. Activities Implemented Women in Trade projectAimed at empowering women cotton farmers in Zambia by increasing business opportunities for them by improving their management and sales skills through capacity building in entrepreneurship.

Lessons learned in Zambia from this project will be shared at the sub-regional level with other MoZaZiMa members including Tanzania. This project is under EDF 10 funding facilitated by ITC

3. MAJOR PERSPECTIVES

Development of a strategic plan to be used among other things to mobilise resources especially for strengthening the MoZaZiMa secretariat based in Lusaka, Zambia .

Hosting of a Southern and East African seed production study in Zimbabwe to expose the SEA cotton sectors to the practical conditions of seed production in Zimbabwe.

Considerable efforts are being made to harmonise seed systems and regulatory systems within the region.

3. MAJOR PERSPECTIVES

Plans are underway to exchange germplasm for varietal breeding research in the 4 countries and for seed purity maintenance research among the members.

Harmonization of extension services in the region to implement a uniform extension methodology under the farmer field schools system or study circle system.

Advance harmonization of Biotechnology and biosafety policies by in country research institutions or a regional research in order to introduce Bt Cotton in the region.

Merci !