Varieties

6 varieties of Cotton are grown in Malawi.

• Makoka 2000
• Rasam 17
• Chureza
• IRM81
• Albar 9314 (new)
• Qm301 (new)

Benefits

• Our cotton is organic, easier to wash and care for, cotton breaths better than oil-based synthetic fabrics, feeling soft on the skin, is environmentally friendly, durable, natural renewable resource, best choice of people who have sensitive skin prone to irritation. These features make our cotton highly demanded. In addition cotton is one of the key export products for Malawi.

Role and Status in Malawi Export

• Since 2009 cotton has been fourth largest export product and comprises 4.1% of Malawi’s total exports. In 2012 cotton exports was USD 50 million.

Cotton Producers

• The main cotton producers are Cotton Ginners Africa, Great Lakes, Cargill, Small holder farmers, Malawi Cotton, Mapeto DWSM, Toleza, Mota Engil, and ADMARC.

Location

• Malawi produces cotton in the lower shire valley, lakeshore, mid altitude and anywhere except Shire Valley.

Production Capacity

• The annual production of cotton guarantees that Malawi’s cotton is readily available for both domestic and international markets.
• Malawi produces on average 158,000 metric tonnes of cotton annually and export about 32% of the total production.