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https://youtu.be/u765Lpa04sw?si=2TI2p8NDnq5T2NhZ
𝐙𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐈𝐀 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄 “𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐎𝐍, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐂 𝐎𝐅 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒” 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 “Cotton, the Fabric of Our Lives.” The colourful event brought together a wide range of stakeholders from across the cotton value chain — 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 — 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 government’s 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. “Cotton 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,” Mr. Mulongoti said. In his remarks, a representative from the Cotton Board of Zambia (CBZ) noted that the theme “Cotton, the Fabric of Our Lives” aptly captures the significance of the crop — 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 year’s commemoration reaffirmed the country’s commitment to enhancing the competitiveness, sustainability, and inclusivity of its cotton industry — truly making cotton the fabric of our lives. #worldcottonday2025 #cottonboardofzambia #CDT #MinistryOfAgriculture #solidaridadzambia #cottonassociationofzambia #Hattaz #TrustAfrica https://youtu.be/u765Lpa04sw?si=2TI2p8NDnq5T2NhZ
𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒 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 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 based on the number of extension officers in your organization. 𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐓: 𝐊𝟑𝟎𝟎 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 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.
𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗔𝗣: 𝗭𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗜𝗔’𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗧𝗧𝗢𝗡 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗣𝗦 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗔 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗘𝗥𝗔 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞 𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙂𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙇𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢 𝙇𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙇𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨 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 منظمة العمل الدولية بالقاهرة , 𝐙𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧, and other stakeholders, these guidelines are a blueprint for dignity, fairness, and sustainability in the cotton value chain. 𝙒𝙃𝘼𝙏 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝙈𝙀𝘼𝙉𝙎 𝙁𝙊𝙍 𝙊𝙐𝙍 𝘾𝙊𝙏𝙏𝙊𝙉 𝙒𝙊𝙍𝙆𝙀𝙍𝙎 The Guidelines focus on six key pillars: 𝟭. 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Living wages & fair farmgate prices. 𝟮. 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 – Strong unions & farmer groups. 𝟯. 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞 & 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 – Gender equality, occupational safety & zero tolerance for child/forced labour. 𝟰. 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Better contracts & protections for seasonal workers. 𝟱. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 & 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 – Clear grievance mechanisms & compliance checks. 𝟲. 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 – Training, extension services & value addition. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃 𝐀𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 Implementation will require strong government enforcement, active union and farmer engagement, buyer and ginner commitments, and donor support for early interventions. • Strong government enforcement • Active union and farmer organization engagement • Buyer and ginner commitments to uphold standards • Donor support for implementation and monitoring These guidelines offer our cotton sector a roadmap to transformation - 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬, and 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲. 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. 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠? 𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦'𝑙𝑙 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑍𝑎𝑚𝑏𝑖𝑎? 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤! #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 year’s Agriculture & Commercial Show under the theme: “Adapting to Climate Change”. 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 nation’s economic development. #CottonBoardZambia #ACShow2025 #AdaptingToClimateChange #SustainableCotton #CottonValueChain #HATTAZ #CDT #ClimateSmartAgriculture #ZambiaAgriculture
GOVT COMMITTED TO PROMOTE FAIRNESS IN COTTON PRICING. The government has pledged to support initiatives promoting fair pricing, access to quality seeds, and market linkages in the cotton sector, according to Eastern Province Minister Peter Phiri. Mr. Phiri stated that the government aims to create a value chain where all stakeholders can prosper. He said the government is making strides to ensure the most vulnerable players in the cotton industry are protected. He made this announcement during the World Cotton Day celebrations at Chief Kathumba's Farm in Sinda district, Eastern Province. The event was held under the theme 'Cotton for Good: Empowering Communities through Sustainable Cotton Farming.' However, traditional leaders expressed concerns about low prices hindering cotton farming. Chieftainess Kawaza attributed low production to poor prices, emphasizing the need to strengthen laws protecting farmers from exploitation. And EASCO Board Chairperson Driana Lwanda stressed regional integration and policy collaboration as key to boosting cotton production, Meanwhile Cotton Board of Zambia CEO Sunduzwayo Banda highlighted the urgency of addressing industry challenges, including unfair pricing.
This year, we gather at Chief Kathumba's palace in Katete to celebrate World Cotton Day under the theme "Cotton for Good: Empowering Communities through Sustainable Cotton Production."This theme underscores the vital role cotton plays in improving livelihoods, fostering resilience, and promoting sustainable development within our communities. By embracing sustainable cotton production practices, we aim to not only enhance economic opportunities for smallholder farmers but also ensure the preservation of our environment for future generations. Together, we recognize cotton's potential to drive positive change, strengthen community bonds, and build a brighter, more sustainable future for all. Tomorrow is the Dee day!!!Cotton creates 6 jobs per every tonne of lint produced. In Zambia it accounts for 1.3 million lovelihoods imagine the potential in job creation this sector holds with the government commitment of reopening the Mulungushi Textile in Kabwe, the farmers are ready to produce with a good price and quality inputs the sector is set to revive the glory days. REMEMBER YOU ARE DRESSED BECAUSE OF A COTTON FARMER!!!
The Eastern and Southern Cotton Organisation (ESACO), with support from We Effect, is mentoring 14 female extension officers from four countries to enhance women's participation in cotton production, economic resilience, and sustainable quality cotton production amidst climate change. The Initiative is targeting Female Extension officers from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia. This is part of We Effect Initiative through ESACO to promote gender equality and empowerment by creating a regional platform supporting female extension officers in the cotton industry. We Effect Southern Africa Handloom and Textiles Technologies Association of Zambia
