Cotton and textile industry play a significant role in Zimbabweans economic growth and development. The International Trade Centre (ITC) a joint agency of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and United Nations (UN) made an announcement that Zimbabwe will be launching the Cotton-to-Clothing (C2C) Export Strategy at an indaba in Bulawayo next week

The strategy is funded by the European Union (EU) under the EU-Africa partnership on cotton. The indaba will be held on September 26

The strategy aims to revive the country’s cotton and textile industry. As more than 1 million Zimbabweans, including farmers, ginner, and textile producers as well as their families depend on cotton for their livelihoods, said ITC, which developed the strategy together with the ministry of Industry and Commerce

The joint strategy is meant to promote the industry in eastern and southern Africa and intends to increase cotton lint production to 450, 000 tonnes per year. It also aims to increase exports of textiles and garments to $7.5 million by 2019.

Mike Bimha, Zimbabwe’s Industry and Commerce minister, Dorothy Tembo, ITC’s deputy executive director and Sindiso Ngwenya, secretary-general of COMESA, will oversee the launch of the strategy at the Bulawayo Clothing Indaba.

ITC assists small and medium enterprises in developing economies to be more competitive globally as a way of boosting sustainable economic development.