West Africa Trade Hub

Apparel Production & Quality Management Training: Dec. 4-5, 2006 Coconut Grove Regency Hotel, Accra

COTTON VALUE ADDING

BENIN, BURKINA FASO, CAMEROUN, GHANA, MALI, SENEGAL

RECOMMENDATIONS/OPPORTUNITIES
HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW REGIONAL

Non Wovens: Sofacoh in Mali installing cotton

bleaching plant in 2007. Entrepreneurial opportunity to beneficiate (cotton wool for cleaning buds, face cleansing pads, feminine hygiene) and use Fair Trade in Cotton (FTiC) cotton wool high value add - export market opportunities: www.fairtrade.net www.fairtrade.org.uk/products_cotton_buy.htm www.maxhavelaarfrance.org

Network Knitwear Fabrics Ltd (Ghana) to evaluate cotton lint bleaching? Gives rise to other opportunities!

COTTON YARNS
Fitina (Mali) RS carded and combed and OE yarns for weaving and knitting end-use CBT (Benin) - RS carded yarns for weaving (minor modification also knitting end-use) Filsah (B. Faso) OE weaving and knitting yarns OPPORTUNITY: TextilePro and Top Circle Hosiery (Ghana) and Buetec Knitting (Cameroun) to explore yarn sourcing possibilities for sock and fabric knitting respectively and mills visa versa

KNIT FABRICS
Buetec Knitting (Cameroun) started a new fabric knitting mill. Capacity to be expanded (to 90 tons/month). Dye house being added initially local market geared
OPPORTUNITY: Needs to visit Ghana knit garment manufacturers could then also import polycotton yarns (not yet available in region) without duty for export of knit fabric to Ghana (polycotton knit fabric geared).

WOVEN FABRICS Non African Prints wider width Sheeting to semi-industrial fabrics (1.45 to 3.9 meter widths) cap 9 mm lm/year
OPPORTUNITY Lobby Govts to ban use of PP in cotton sector. Creates a demand for 15 to 20 mm lm/year in C4+ countries for bale wrap, cotton picking bags and co-op collections. Some of the Coteb wide looms could be put in to CBT for example to expand capacity A factory to make million plus cotton picking bags A finishing plant to make tenting, awning, outdoor umbrella fabrics (water proofing, advert printing)

Trimmings
Modern high quality commission embroidery factories exist in Cameroun. By mid 2007, Ghana will have +- 4 500 sewing machines installed. Should all be utilized .
OPPORTUNITY Zips, elastic, buttons, sewing thread (dyeing/rewinding) manufacturing opportunities open up. Printing on synthetic and blend fabrics could also be looked at as well as value add commission garment washing/finishing plants (for woven and knit garments)

FABRIC OPPORTUNITIES
Again on the premise that all commercial garment manufacturers are fully utilized
OPPORTUNITY Yarn to fabric (woven and knit) opportunities and Yarn to Garment (woven and knit) opportunities With or without buy-back agreements
LATTER WOULD NOT NECCESITATE FULL UTILIZATION OF GARMENT FACTORIES IN THEIR COUNTRIES

LONGER TERM OPPORTUNITY

Should the textile industry investments and greater capacity utilization of the garment industry materialize ..
OPPORTUNITY Non woven (rag tearing & needling) investment to produce carpet underlay, pads for beds and furniture, fiber fill for pillows, bedspread fill and blankets etc

LONGER TERM OPPORTUNITY CONTD

GARMENTS

As textile investments materialize, the EU market opens up for duty free exports under the Cotonou and Everything But Arms (EBA) agreements Garment exporters to US should look at higher value fabrics (e.g. antimicrobial, anti static) to enter higher margin markets www.oeko-tex.com (safe-to-wear apparel, 7000 company registered on their site)

GARMENT MANUFACTURING

OBSERVATION Artisanale mentality prevails in most of the countries. Where possible avoid employing those that have artisanale sewing experience (Levi Strauss RSA start up example) Maximize advantage of wages being less than $ 100/month by looking for customers/markets that require garment properties such as: lint free, fire resistant (oil/gas cos), medical barrier/anti bacterial, UV resistant and other performance fabrics increase your margin potential

GARMENT MANUFACTURING CONTD

Those of you gearing up to make bottom weights, say Chinos, evaluate the possibilities of using wrinkle free, soil repellency fabrics. Customers beginning to demand more care-free garments! Request Cerfitex to run a course on fabrics (types, constructions, qualities, etc) and get at least one person to attend from each garment manufacturer.

GARMENT MANUFACTURING CONTD

www.arnywear.co.uk (anyone interested in mosquito repellant fabrics?) www.exportsintoafrica.co.za (ATF site Apparel, textile footwear exhibition in RSA) Also has a section on tips for exhibiting and post show/exhibition report (Nov 06 still being worked on)