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In a bid to catalyse the revival of the textile industry in the country, the Raw Materials and Research Development Council has presented 20 tonnes of improved cotton seeds to farmers nationwide.
In an interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Wednesday, the Head of Agriculture and Agro-allied Department, RMRDC, Dr. Gabriel Awolehin, said the 20 tonnes of seeds could cover 716 hectares of cotton farms.
In terms of yield, he explained that at a conservative estimate of two tonnes per hectare, the seeds could produce 1,432 tonnes of cotton. Making the presentation through the National Cotton Association of Nigeria, the Director-General, RMRDC, Dr. Hussaini Ibrahim, regretted that the fortunes of the textile industry had nosedived despite its status in the Nigerian manufacturing industry.
Putting the present capacity utilisation in the textile manufacturing industry at 30 per cent, Ibrahim pledged that the Federal Government would revive the industry, citing the donation of cotton seeds to farmers at no cost as an evidence of its commitment. He said, “The Nigerian textile industry, which accounted for about 25 per cent of the manufacturing value added in the 1970s to the 1990s, has passed through various phases of growth.
Photo Caption: Textile Factory
