The Government of Tanzania has been advised to introduce a cotton policy to enable the local industry to compete with Chinese imports.

Prof. Andrew Mbwambo, Dean of Business School in Mzumbe University, Dar es Salaam, said the Government needs to have a policy aimed at protecting local cotton industries.

Speaking at a workshop on African Clothing and Footwear Research Network (ACFRN), Prof. Mbwambo said the local industries must be directed to use domestically produced raw materials.

Prof. Mbwambo, along with researchers from seven countries of east and southern Africa, is about to complete a study under the ACFRN project. Since its inception in 2001, researchers at ACFRN maintain close contact with Government officials responsible for the clothing sector in their countries. Representatives of industry and Government officials are regularly invited to stakeholders’ workshops and dissemination events.