CAIRO, April 19, 2018 (MENA) - The Egyptian government, the private sector and international bodies launched on Thursday a partnership to develop the Egyptian cotton value chain industry and enhance its access to international markets in view of Egypt's reputation as a producer of the highest quality fiber, known all over the world as Egypt's ‘white gold'. The partnership was launched on the fringe of the proceedings of a conference titled ""From cotton seeds to clothing: enhancing the sustainability, inclusiveness and value addition of Egypt's cotton value chain" organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in cooperation with the Italian government and the ministries of trade and industry and agriculture. Representative of the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Chairman of the Central Administration for Strategic Planning Sherine el Sabbag said the project aims at developing the textile, weaving and ready-to-wear clothes industries as they are strategic sectors for the Egyptian industry. She also underlined the importance of Egypt's retaining its position as a producer of cotton and ready-to-wear clothes in the international markets, highlighting the importance of involving the private sector in current projects under construction. Meanwhile, Representative of the Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation (AICS) Ismail el Faramawy said the Italian side will support the Egyptian cotton sector with dlrs 50 million, adding that a similar value of the fund will be pumped to overcome problems of cotton planting and lack of labor force. The aim of the partnership is to develop the Egyptian extra-long staple cotton for the world's finest linens and clothing, said UNIDO Director and Regional Representative Giovanna Ceglie, noting that the project wants to contribute together with partners from the government and private sector to help growers to produce more and better cotton, small and medium-sized enterprises to manufacture quality cotton products, and workers to benefit from higher skills and higher incomes. She also asserted the green aspect of this partnership as it will promote organic and clean production of cotton, as well as having a social impact. She added that UNIDO intends to support also the poorer segments in the cotton value chain. A letter of intention (LOI) has been signed between the public and private sectors represented by Egypt's Cotton Federation and the Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation (AICS).
