About
The Cotton Board of Zambia
We are a statutory board under the Ministry of Agriculture and
established under the Cotton Act No.21 of 2005 of the Laws of Zambia.ย
This act empowers the Board to regulate the Cotton industry as it relates to the production and ginning of seed Cotton; to control the production and marketing of Cotton and to provide with or incidental to the foregoing.
Our Mission
To provide a regulatory and economic environment conducive for the sustainable production, ginning and marketing of high quality cotton for the benefit of the Cotton Industry.
Our Vision
To become a leading promoter of quality and sustainable cotton industry.
We Oversee
Ginners operating
Per Year
WHO WORK WITH
Cotton Farmers
Per Year
WHO PLANT
HECTARES OF COTTON
Per Year
Improve Productivity through Provision of High-Quality Planting
Improve Quality of Cotton from Production to Marketing and develop efficient and effective marketing and pricing system.
Our Services
In accordance with our mandate, We strive to offer the following range of services
Registrations
Registration of buyers and ginners.
Conduct Trainings
Training of farmers and stakeholders along the value chain.
Promotions
Promote use of high quality Cotton seeds by farmers.
Enforcement
Enforcing Seed Cotton Grading Cotton Lint classification.
Inspections
Inspection of seed cotton stores, ginneries and buying centers
Industry Advice
Provision of advisory services to stakeholders and Government on all Cotton related matters.
We are dedicated to fostering the growth and development of the cotton industry in Zambia
Latest News
https://youtu.be/u765Lpa04sw?si=2TI2p8NDnq5T2NhZ
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐โ The Lusaka Showgrounds were a hive of activity on 7th October 2025 as Zambia joined the rest of the world in celebrating World Cotton Day 2025 under the global theme โCotton, the Fabric of Our Lives.โ The colourful event brought together a wide range of stakeholders from across the cotton value chain โ including smallholder farmers, ginning companies, the Handloom and Textile Technologies Association of Zambia (HATTAZ), government representatives, the Brazilian Ambassador to Zambia, Solidaridad, the Cotton Association of Zambia (CAZ), University of Zambia (UNZA) students, the Cotton Development Trust (CDT), We Effect, and other development partners โ to reflect on the importance of cotton to livelihoods, trade, and sustainable development. The Guest of Honour, Minister of Agriculture Hon. Reuben Mtolo Phiri, was represented by Permanent Secretary Mr. John Mulongoti, who reaffirmed the governmentโs commitment to revitalising the cotton sector and ensuring that it continues to contribute meaningfully to rural development and national economic growth. He called for continued investment in processing, farmer support, and research to build a sustainable cotton ecosystem and stated how the government is addressing challenges in the sector through reforms like the Cotton Act. Emphasis was placed on expanding Zambia's competitiveness in regional and global markets, particularly within the African Continental Free Trade Area. His speech concluded by urging collaboration among all stakeholders to build a vibrant cotton industry that uplifts livelihoods and powers industries. โCotton remains a strategic crop for Zambia. It supports thousands of smallholder farmers and plays a vital role in creating jobs along the value chain. As government, we remain committed to working with the private sector and partners to enhance productivity, value addition, and market access,โ Mr. Mulongoti said. In his remarks, a representative from the Cotton Board of Zambia (CBZ) noted that the theme โCotton, the Fabric of Our Livesโ aptly captures the significance of the crop โ connecting farmers, industries, and consumers, while contributing to economic growth and sustainable livelihoods. Throughout the day, participants engaged in exhibitions, panel discussions, and live demonstrations highlighting innovations in cotton production, pest management, and textile processing. Farmers and ginners showcased the stages in the cotton value chain, sustainable farming practices, and new technologies aimed at boosting productivity and income, as well as textile products made from handloom technologies. Development partners such as Solidaridad and We Effect shared insights on promoting sustainability and inclusivity in the cotton sector, particularly through climate-smart agriculture, gender empowerment, and traceability systems that align with international market standards. Speakers also underscored the importance of employing new technologies to boost cotton productivity, increase farmer incomes, and maximize the economic benefits of cotton for Zambia. Farmers also shared their experiences on challenges and opportunities in production, pest management, and market access, emphasizing the need for continued collaboration across the value chain. World Cotton Day, first declared by the United Nations in 2019, celebrates the global significance of cotton as a natural fibre that sustains millions of people worldwide. For Zambia, this yearโs commemoration reaffirmed the countryโs commitment to enhancing the competitiveness, sustainability, and inclusivity of its cotton industry โ truly making cotton the fabric of our lives. #worldcottonday2025 #cottonboardofzambia #CDT #MinistryOfAgriculture #solidaridadzambia #cottonassociationofzambia #Hattaz #TrustAfrica https://youtu.be/u765Lpa04sw?si=2TI2p8NDnq5T2NhZ
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ The Cotton Board of Zambia will commence the implementation of the Harmonised Extension Service Approach in the 2025/26 season. As part of this implementation, it is now a precondition for all registered ginners to purchase copies of the ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ based on the number of extension officers in your organization. ๐๐๐๐: ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐ก๐๐ง๐๐๐จ๐จ๐ค Your cooperation will ensure smooth adoption as we move forward with standardized extension services. For more information and to place your orders, please contact us on +260 776 282 128 or email us at info@cbz.org.zm.
๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฃ: ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ง๐ข ๐ ๐ก๐๐ช ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ง ๐ช๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ช๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐๐ค๐ค๐๐จ May 30th, 2025 marked a turning point for cotton workers and farmers across Zambia with the official launch of the Decent Work Guidelines for the Cotton Sub-sector. Developed through collaboration between the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Zambia , Ministry of Agriculture, Zambia, Cotton Board of Zambia, TrustAfrica, Solidaridad Southern Africa, the International Labour Organization ILO Cairo ู ูุธู ุฉ ุงูุนู ู ุงูุฏูููุฉ ุจุงููุงูุฑุฉ , ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ง, and other stakeholders, these guidelines are a blueprint for dignity, fairness, and sustainability in the cotton value chain. ๐๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ The Guidelines focus on six key pillars: ๐ญ. ๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง โ Living wages & fair farmgate prices. ๐ฎ. ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง & ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ โ Strong unions & farmer groups. ๐ฏ. ๐๐๐๐ & ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฌ โ Gender equality, occupational safety & zero tolerance for child/forced labour. ๐ฐ. ๐๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง โ Better contracts & protections for seasonal workers. ๐ฑ. ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ & ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ โ Clear grievance mechanisms & compliance checks. ๐ฒ. ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ & ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ โ Training, extension services & value addition. ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ Implementation will require strong government enforcement, active union and farmer engagement, buyer and ginner commitments, and donor support for early interventions. โข Strong government enforcement โข Active union and farmer organization engagement โข Buyer and ginner commitments to uphold standards โข Donor support for implementation and monitoring These guidelines offer our cotton sector a roadmap to transformation - ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฌ, and ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ. From farm to ginnery, every person in Zambia's cotton value chain deserves fair treatment, safe working conditions, and a fair share of the value they create. ๐โ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐กโ๐๐ข๐โ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ค ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ? ๐ป๐๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ฆ'๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐? ๐โ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ค! #DecentWork #ZambiaCotton #FairValue #SustainableAgriculture #ReclaimSustainability #ZambiaAgriculture #FairTrade #workersrights
ATTENTION TO ALL COTTON PRODUCERS AND WOULD-BE COTTON PRODUCERS!! The Cotton Board of Zambia is now accepting applications for registration for the 2025/2026 cotton season. The application window is open from August 11th, 2025 to August 22nd, 2024. Download the application form from the Cotton Board of Zambia website: https://cbz.org.zm/downloads You are all required to submit your completed application form to the Cotton Board of Zambia Head Office in the showgrounds before the deadline. For more information, contact the Cotton Board of Zambia by phone: +260-776-282-128 or +260-977-751-832 or by email: info@cbz.org.zm
We were proud to be part of this yearโs Agriculture & Commercial Show under the theme: โAdapting to Climate Changeโ. We collaborated with HATTAZ and CDT where we highlighted the resilience and innovation driving the cotton value chain. From Cotton Seed to Lint, and from Fibre to Fabric, our joint exhibition demonstrated climate-smart farming practices, local textile production, and the power of partnerships in building a sustainable cotton industry. A big thank you to all who visited our stand, engaged with our team, and showed interest in the future of cotton in Zambia. Together, we can build a climate-resilient agricultural sector and contribute to the nationโs economic development. #CottonBoardZambia #ACShow2025 #AdaptingToClimateChange #SustainableCotton #CottonValueChain #HATTAZ #CDT #ClimateSmartAgriculture #ZambiaAgriculture
