Eastern, Southern Africa Cotton Organisation to participate in US council meeting as observer

The Eastern and Southern Africa Cotton Organisation (ESACO), of which Zambia is secretariat, is set to participate in meetings and discussions as an observer of the International Cotton Advisory Committee-ICAC’s Private Sector Advisory Council conference in the United States.

The conference slated for later this would enable ESACO participate in meetings and discussions without voting or proposing resolutions.

Commenting on the development, ESACO Board Chairperson, Driana Lwanda, said the invitation was a huge opportunity for the organisation to join the world leaders in fostering a healthy world cotton economy.

Lwanda in a statement issued on Saturday said ESACO’s presence at ICAC would help identify key partners and strategic networks that would enhance competitiveness in the cotton value chain.

“Currently as ESACO we have a number of challenges which are affecting the advancement of cotton in the ESACO region. ICAC on the other hand offers an opportunity in research and provides technical information towards challenges that we as ESACO are trying to address.

“Being part of this event offers an opportunity to access objective data on the world’s largest cotton producing countries and give us an opportunity to use the same to address our current challenges,” she said.

Lwanda said the invite had come at the right time when ESACO was looking at ways of utilizing technology to increase value proposition and that being at ICAC meant a wide range of platforms in accessing latest technologies.

ESACO, she said, intended to build the capacity of cotton stakeholders in all aspects of the value chain including the textile industry.

The Council is also the world’s leading cotton body that brings together producers, ginners, weavers, machinery manufacturers, brands and retailers from across the globe under a single umbrella.

Cotton Board of Zambia Chief Executive Officer, Sunduzwayo Banda, said Zambia being ESACO secretariat and being invited for the conference meant breaking ground for more international cooperation.

“We are excited because this comes at a time when Zambia was just readmitted as a member of the International Cotton Advisory Committee. This development will create more opportunities for Zambian cotton farmers”, Banda said.

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