A lack of access to the latest technology is hampering the cotton industry to the extent that the once thriving industry is now planting 60% less cotton in the last two years.
Bayer owns the technology needed to save the industry but they will only the technology to South Africa if there are more hectares available, however farmers can’t produce more hectares as they can’t access suitable cultivars.
Furthermore Bayer seem to have very little interest in the industry saying that it is not a business priority for them and that the market is too small and that are not enough farmers planting cotton.
With the significant improvement in international cotton prices, however, it is not all bad news. Record prices have been reached this past week.
Sources: Food for Mzansi
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