Clothes maker to invest in Kenya cotton farming
New Wide Group, which operates three garment manufacturing companies in the Athi River Export Processing Zone (EPZ), has announced that it will invest $7 million in 2012 to support cotton farming in Kenya.
In addition, New Wide Garments, the Kenyan subsidiary, will also be setting up a cotton ginning unit in Kisumu town to strengthen the ongoing efforts of the government to revive the country’s cotton industry.
The company, which produces adidas garments, also intends to undertake research in association with the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) to find cotton seed varieties that will be more appropriate to Kenyan climatic conditions.
The research is aimed at transferring technology to cotton cultivators and to generate more employment opportunities for Kenyans. Through its efforts, New Wide intends to increase acreage under cotton cultivation in Kenya, which would in turn, result in creation of jobs and enhancing the financial performance of garment companies.
The closure of cotton cooperative societies, low returns on cotton production compared to other crops, low quantity of production, use of old technology, lack of credit availability to cotton growers, high prevalence of diseases and pests which increases the cost of production are among the reasons that are contributing to decline in Kenya’s cotton production.
