Our value chain in Tanzania and Kenya
Introduction
By 2026, Tanzania will be the largest producer of organically grown cotton on the African continent. The largest growing areas are in Singida and Simiyu.
Cotton farming is one of Tanzania’s most important agricultural sectors. Around 15 per cent of the cotton grown nationwide is cultivated organically by smallholder cooperatives. In this video from 2015, Ashura and Zacharia from a smallholder cooperative working with the company BioSustain give you an insight into their work. Here you’ll learn, amongst other things, how they grow cotton in Singida using smallholder rain-fed farming methods, how they keep pests away from the fields naturally, and what a fair price for cotton means to them:
Smallholders benefit from stable cotton prices and traditional farming methods.
In the Singida region, around 95 per cent of the population works in agriculture. Around 45,140 farmers grow cotton on approximately 41,450 hectares of farmland in Singida. Farmers generally cultivate small plots of land ranging in size from 0.4 to 2 hectares.
One third of the region is a state-protected wildlife reserve, meaning that particular attention is paid to biodiversity.
Farmers who grow cotton organically benefit from prices that are above the world market price. This means that the price quoted for conventional cotton at any given time is increased by 7–15 per cent, depending on the fibre quality. In addition, farmers benefit from a purchase guarantee for their quotas and a price premium (price differential), which, amongst other things, covers the costs of potential crop failures, investments in seeds and the collective needs of the co-operative members, such as expenditure on education, healthcare and housing.
The relevant regulatory authority, the TCB (Tanzania Cotton Board), sets an annual minimum price for seed cotton. This means that farmers also have price security for the entire season, covering up to five harvests.
Seed cotton refers to the raw, harvested cotton before it is ginned – that is, separated from the seed pods – in the next stage at the cotton gin.
By growing catch crops such as mung beans (green gram), split peas (yellow gram), maize, millet, sunflowers or peanuts, farmers secure an additional income. Furthermore, growing these crops helps to reduce pest infestations, maintain soil fertility, regulate the removal of nutrients from the soil and prevent soil erosion. Fertilisers and plant protection products are also produced organically from compost, cattle manure and native plants such as the neem tree. For example, non-toxic and cost-effective mixtures of ground seeds and water are used to combat insect pests.
Water consumption and rainy seasons
In Tanzania, cotton is grown organically using small-scale rain-fed farming methods without artificial irrigation. Tanzania offers favourable growing conditions for cotton, as the country lies in a climate zone with sufficient rainfall, meaning that plants do not have to compete for water. Following a long-standing tradition, combined with modern cultivation methods, the cotton plants are planted in a thick layer of humus on moist soil and are ready for harvest after 150–180 days. Subsequently, the Singida Plateau, with its dry climate and temperatures around 30 degrees, offers ideal conditions for the growth phase. Cotton can grow even in very dry climates, but naturally, like all living things, it requires water at certain times – particularly during the growth phase – in order to achieve good yields. Sowing takes place in November/December.
Interesting facts: In Tanzania, cotton can be picked up to five times within a single harvest season. A stable cotton price that is attractive to farmers is also common in Tanzania, as the major growing areas are located in regions that are significant for political elections – so-called ‘swing states’.
