ITC to promote sale of African cotton in Asian countries

Coimbatore, Apr 12. The International Trade Centre, a joint agency of WTO and UN, is looking at an opportunity to build transparency along the value chain and establish direct linkage between ginner in Africa and buyers in India. Matthias Knappe, Programme Manager, (Cotton, Textiles and Clothing) of ITC, who is on a 'Target Asia' mission to promote African Cotton, said partnership between ginners and spinners needs to happen so as to improve both the trade volume and quality of cotton. "We are not looking at huge number of spinners, but a few interested ones to kickstart the programme," Knappe told reporters here. Stating that though cotton from Africa was not new to the Indian trade, Knappe said ITC was striving to build transparency along the value chain and establish direct linkage between the ginner/grower and the buyer in India. However, he made it clear that it has no business interest in this proposition, but only working to help the African countries accelerate the export of raw fibre. Knappe, whom a few spinners and some members of the Indian Cotton Federation (ICF) met earlier in the day, said: "We are not looking at the market per se, but a few preferred spinners who are genuinely interested to procure African cotton". The Centre has also proposed to organise a visit to West Africa for spinners from Thailand and Bangladesh this December, he said. Even as some ICF members evinced interest in establishing direct linkage with the African ginners and urged ITC to facilitate a meet with the ginners soon, Knappe expressed apprehension against entering into contracts with African ginners "without getting to know or meeting them in person". ITC would not be able to endorse all the companies in the African countries, he admitted.