Improvement of Cotton Marketing and Trade System in Eastern and Southern Africa

The central objective of the project is to increase the benefits to Eastern and Southern African countries from cotton production and marketing, through the establishment of a transparent and efficient marketing system within the framework of a liberalised market. The project promotes privately run warehousing systems and establishes, as its core function, a warehouse inventory receipt system to provide collateral. The project efforts aim at better access to the international market; reduced technical and price risks associated with cotton marketing and trade; and increased earnings for smallholder cotton producers, small-scale traders and cotton exporters. In addition, it contributes to strengthening public and private institutions operating in a free market environment. The project sites are located in Uganda and Tanzania.