Zambia picked as secretariat for Eastern, Southern Africa Cotton Organization

Zambia has been elected as Secretariat for the Eastern and Southern Africa Cotton Organization, an organization whose mission is to assist stakeholders in fostering a healthy cotton economy in the member countries.

Cotton Board of Zambia Chief Executive Officer, Sunduzwayo Banda, confirmed the development in a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday.

Banda said the Eastern and Southern Africa Cotton Organization (ESACO) was created with specific goals to increase cotton production and productivity to alleviate poverty in rural areas.

He said ESACO which draws it membership from Eastern and Southern African countries is comprised of Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi aims to achieve its mission by providing transparency to the regional cotton market.

“The organization also seeks to Increase transparency in the entire cotton system in the member countries, but especially in seed-cotton price system and empowering women and youths in sustainable cotton production,” Banda said.

He said ESACO will also build capacity of cotton stakeholder in all aspects of the value chain and developing more direct marketing initiatives to capture possible price premiums.

“The organization will also liaise with key regional and international institutions and conclude cooperation frameworks for financial and technical support as well as lead lobbying and advocacy initiatives on policy on gender and development, youth empowerment, legal and regulatory issues that affect the cotton sectors in the region,” Banda said.

He said EASCO will liaise with SADC and COMESA Secretariats to ensure that the member countries will be able to benefit from economies of scale at the regional level in terms of institutional development, marketing and additional investment in the industry.

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