ProCotton: Improving Productivity and Marketing of Cotton through Strengthening of Selected Producer Organizations in Eastern Africa

The project intends to provide a range of services to selected producer organizations, thereby increasing producer incomes in sustainable manner. Based on self-assessments (if need be supported by project expertise) producer organizations can request support from the project in five fields: technical assistance (focus on agronomic practices); access to finance; market access; capacity building; and diversification/value-addition. The current project is a pilot activity to assess the perspectives of using this approach to effectively access and support producer organizations in the African cotton sector, based on successful experiences with other commodities in other regions. The project has been approved by CFC in April 2011 and the project started in October 2011.