Mr Price : Can’t Stop South African Cotton

Mr Price Group is honoured to partner with the 2019 Cotton Industry and Indaba Awards, to be hosted on Wednesday, 13th November at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, Johannesburg.

The theme for the prestigious awards, 'Can't Stop Cotton' is a celebration of the significant growth in cotton lint production in South Africa over the past five years.

The event, hosted by Cotton South Africa in partnership with the South African Cotton Cluster (SACC), will see thought leaders and key industry stakeholders present on a variety of topics relating to the cotton industry, with exhibitors showcasing their services and products.

The SACC strives to increase the volume of cotton grown under Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) standards with the following goals:

• Reducing the environmental impact of cotton production.
• Improving livelihoods and economic development in cotton-producing areas.
• Improving commitment to and flow of Better Cotton throughout the supply chain.
• Ensuring the credibility and sustainability of the Better Cotton Initiative.

Since 2013, Mr Price Group has been one of the leading retailers in establishing the SACC, working closely with government, industry and farmers to create a locally sustainable cotton industry - one that boosts capacity, creates employment opportunities and is able to compete globally. 'Our dream is to see more South African cotton products being manufactured from locally grown cotton,' said Natasja Ambrosio, Head of Sustainability at Mr Price Group.

To make this dream a reality, Mr Price Group supports small scale cotton farmers to grow cotton for its supply chain.

'Many of the small-scale farmers that are in the cotton belt do not have alternatives for income. In most of these high-temperature areas, where not many other plants grow, farmers have access to a piece of land and without funding they don't have a means to augment their income,' said Beni Letebele, MD of Aggrefund.

'We have seen that in areas where the right practices were put in place and the funding was available at the right time, the farmers managed to improve their yields by some forty percent from one season to another. This means that Mr Price Group has a direct impact on more than a thousand households because of the multiplier effect,' highlighted Letebele.

He added that the profile of the farmers in the cooperatives are mostly elderly females, with an increasing number of youth participants entering the programme.

In 2018, the group supported 263 small scale farmers and procured over 1500 tonnes of local seed cotton. This cotton was used to produce approximately 5 million products for the group.

Through financing arrangements, the group also facilitates the flow of local cotton through its value chain (including cotton ginners, spinners and manufacturers) into product.

Mr Price Group's cotton initiatives are supported through its 'Together We Do Good' journey and the purpose of the group, which is to 'add value to the lives of our customers, and worth to our partners lives, while caring for the communities and environment in which we operate.''

The group's commitment to partnership expands well beyond its own value chains.

'Mr Price Group recognises the importance of local cotton farmers in the whole value chain, and wholly supports the growth of the local cotton industry competing on a global level. The economic upliftment of small-scale farmers utilising sustainable farming methods is also vital in maintaining BCI standards,' said Mark Blair, CEO of Mr Price Group.
Local cotton farming grew by 500 percent between 2013 and 2018 and it is estimated that the crop will top 49,000 tonnes in 2019.