Tanzanian cotton output drops due to drought: official

DAR ES SALAAM (AFP) Nov 28, 2003
Production of cotton in Tanzania dropped from 187,000 tonnes during the 2001/2002 farming season to 140,000 tonnes currently, cotton industry official said on Friday.

"The drop is due to bad weather, as many parts of the country have faced drought for most of the year," Tanzania Cotton Lint and Seed BoardGeneral Manager Joe Kabisa told AFP in Dar es Salaam.

Kabisa said the board had earlier set a target of 160,000 tonnes for the season, but actual output was about 13 percent below the target.

He said preparations for the 2003/2004 farming season have started with the distribution of seeds.

Cotton is one of the traditional major cash crops in Tanzania and is cultivated in half of the country's 21 regions, according to industry sources.

TERRA.WIRE