China Unveils Tanzanian Investment Plan
September 17, 2013 The Chinese ambassador to Tanzania, Lu Youqing, unveiled a cotton investment plan to construct cotton gins in the Shinyanga region of Tanzania.
Youqing announced the investment plan during a tour to inspect construction of cotton facilities in the region with the Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) secretary general, Abdulrahman Kinana, and Shinyanga Regional Commissioner, Ally Rufunga.
Youqing said the investment plan includes construction of cotton processing factories in the region designed to improve farmers’ earnings and create an estimated 30,000 new jobs.
According to Rufunga, China has shown interest in improving cotton farming by increasing productivity and giving better prices to farmers.
Contracts have been signed with various investors from China to construct seven cotton factories that will include cotton processing facilities, textile factories and factories for packaging materials.
Rufunga says Chinese investors will help increase productivity in the region by introducing new technologies and seeds from China.
Currently farmers in the region are producing 400 kilograms of cotton per hectare, whereas Chinese farmers produce 4 tons of cotton per hectare. The new technology is expected to help farmers grow 1,200 kilograms of cotton per hectare, he added.
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