HC Deb 30 January 1952 vol 495 cc173-4
25. Mr. Anthony Greenwood

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what schemes are in hand for developing the growing of cotton in Colonial Territories; and what further schemes are proposed.

Mr. Lyttelton

In order to satisfy the hon. Member the reply necessarily contains a lot of detail. I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the statement:

Colonial cotton production in recent years has averaged half a million bales (of 400 1b.) per annum. The figures for 1949–50 were:—

Bales
Uganda … 342,000
Kenya … 8,000
Tanganyika … 50,000
Nigeria (Export) … 62,000
Nyasaland … 10,000
West Indies … 6,000
Others (mainly Aden) … 6,000
484,000
With the exception of small quantities, it is a peasant-cultivated crop. Production may be increased by improved cultivation in existing areas of production, or by bringing new areas into production. The measures adopted necessarily vary according to the climatic and economic conditions in individual territories. Details of the measures being taken by the different Colonial Governments concerned, to whom considerable help has been given by the Empire Cotton Growing Corporation, are given below. Uganda which normally produces about 70 per cent. of all colonial raw cotton is concentrating on increasing considerably the yield per acre of those areas at present under cultivation by introducing higher yielding disease-resistant strains, by encouraging improved cultivation methods and by seed treatment to reduce blackarm disease. It is hoped that it may be possible to raise annual production by 50 per cent. to about 450,000 bales per annum in the near future. In Tanganyika mechanised aids to peasant cultivation are being introduced in resettlement schemes in Sukumaland. In addition the Department of Agriculture has concentrated a large number of staff in cotton-growing areas to encourage improved cultivation and increased planting. By these means it is hoped almost to raise the annual cotton crop by about 80 per cent. to about 90,000 bales. In Nigeria, which is the second largest colonial cotton producer, a special cotton development team has been charged with responsibility for improving cotton production both by improving yields of cultivation methods and by the opening up of new areas and the improvement of marketing and ginning facilities and communications. It is hoped to expand Nigeria's production of American type cotton by about 300 per cent. to some 200,000 bales per annum in the next ten years. In Nyasaland better planting methods and pure strains of cotton are being introduced to reduce losses through red bollworm. The extension of the area under cultivation will depend on the possibilities of irrigation which are being investigated at present. If irrigation proves feasible an expansion of production to about 100 per cent. to 20,000 bales per annum should be possible. The British West Indies are the sole producers of Sea Island cotton, the market for which is limited. Improvements here are concentrated on the introduction of new strains to improve quality, and expansion of output beyond 5,000 bales will depend upon market demand. A very high grade cotton of the Sudan type is being grown under irrigation in the Abyan district of the Western Aden Protectorate and it is hoped to increase output to about 10,000 bales in the near future. The possibilities of growing cotton in other territories have been or are being examined but the only one which at present holds out any prospect of large scale production is the Gold Coast, if the Volta River scheme is adopted. Preliminary experiments are being carried out in the Volta Area. Certain Colonial producers, namely Nigeria, Nyasaland and the Aden Protectorate, have entered into long term contracts with the United Kingdom Raw Cotton Commission, which, by offering a stable market for some years ahead, serve to encourage expansion of production. In addition advances by the Raw Cotton Commission have been of considerable help in starting irrigated cotton production in the Aden Protectorate.