The Government recently announced the disbursement of cotton seeds and reviving of cotton ginneries in Western and Nyanza counties Busia, Bungoma, Siaya and Kisumu.
As cotton farming is significantly labour intensive, the successful and effective continuation of this agricultural enterprise in the country, at scale, could provide job growth leading to direct economic benefits as a result.
Moreover, there are indirect economic benefits that could arise from the empowerment of cotton farming in western Kenya.
The main avenue through which seed disbursement and ginnery rehabilitation could indirectly boost Kenya’s economy is through the benefits that could be seen by the textile industry and the economic results of a consequent shift in consumer behaviour.
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High quality cotton in large supply could provide raw materials at an affordable price, driving down production prices for Kenyan textile manufacturers hence putting downward pressure on prices of locally made clothing, increasing demand.
Many Kenyans wear imported, often second hand, clothes as a result of the absence of a locally made alternative attributable to the high prices charged by Kenyan clothes retailers who sell Kenyan-manufactured textiles.
The reduction in the prices of Kenyan clothes could change consumer behavior by offering an affordable, higher quality alternative to imported, sometimes second hand, clothing.
This shift in consumer behavior has the potential to expand Kenya’s textile industry as an uptick in consumer demand for Kenyan textiles would create jobs in the Kenyan industry as supply catches up and production quantity increases.
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It would also reduce (mostly Dollar denominated) imports, helping Kenya manage its trade deficit and making it less susceptible to foreign exchange rate fluctuations.
As Kenya’s textile industry grows, quality and longevity of clothing must be maintained at a high level so that we can have a sustainable fashion industry with a consumer culture of buying high quality to keep for a long time, instead of enabling the environmentally destructive “fast fashion” craze.
