WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/CFMC/W/28 
15 May 2008 
 
 (08-2237) 
 Original:   English 
  
 
DIRECTOR-GENERAL'S CONSULTATIVE FRAMEWORK 
MECHANISM ON COTTON 
 
Cotton Projects
1 
 
Communication from Uganda 
  
 The following communication, dated 17 July 2007, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Uganda. 
 
_______________ 
 
PROJECT N° 2 - RESEARCH ON IMPROVEMENT OF GERMPLASM 
GINNING OUT-TURN AND FIBRE QUALITY IN UGANDA FOR 
CAPTURING NICHE MARKETS 
 
 
I. JUSTIFICATION 
1. Uganda produces Albar cotton types of th e medium-staple range belonging to Gossypium 
hirsutum .  The research on variety development since 1930s has seen to improvements in fibre and 
spinning quality giving Uganda’s cotton premium pr ices at international markets.  The liberalization 
of the cotton industry n 1994 brought  about new demands by the private operators in the cotton sector.  
While the farmers called for large bolls and prolific fruiting for hi gh yields, the ginners demanded for 
ginning out turns (GOT) higher than the 35% characte ristic of Albar cotton types.  The lint exporters 
and spinners demanded for longer fibre staple le ngths, strong fibres and yarn counts beyond the 30s 
offered by the current Uganda varieties.   
2. While research has enabled improvement of th e Uganda staples from the medium to long 
staple classification (30 mm), there is need fo r breeding for higher GOTS (over the current 38-40%) 
and higher yarn counts (60 counts).  The need fo r these improvement is for purposes of capturing 
niche markets for strong high count yarns. It is therefore necessary that the cotton research 
programme undertakes introduction of germplasm of the required fibre specifications for crossing 
with the adopted  Uganda cottons  for selections and improvement. 
3. The testing and selection for the improvement of GOT and fibre quality requires specific 
cotton processing and fibre testing equipment and laboratories. Cotton processing equipment 
including; seed cotton opener, roller and saw gins, ba ling press, seed dressing plant were procured and 
installed under the World Bank – Government of Uganda funded Cotton – Sub-sector and 
Development Project (CSDP).  There is need to upg rade the electricity supply to the ginning house for 
the commissioning and use of these processing equipment. 
                                                     
 
1 This project was distributed amongst the Development Community by e-mail on 31 August 2007. WT/CFMC/W/28 
Page 2  
 
  4. Under the same CSDP project, fibre testing and spinning equipment were procured including 
inter alia; Micronaire value and fibre maturity testers, draw-frame, miniature spinning plant and stelometers.  There is now need to build a labor atory for housing the equipment.  Currently the 
research programme relies on the High Volume Instrument (HVI) for fibre testing provided by CDO.  The HVI, however, provides no paramete rs on yarn spinning parameters. 
II. OBJECTIVES 
(a) To upgrade electricity supply for the ginne ry house (for running of cotton processing 
equipment). 
(b) To construct a laboratory for housing the fibre testing and spinning equipment. 
(c) To introduce appropriate cotton germplasm with characteristics for improvement of 
GOT, staple length fibre strength and yarn strength and counts. 
(d) To make crosses and backcrosses betw een introduced germplasm and Uganda 
cottons. Advance the crosses through sel fing and selection for disease and pest 
resistance.   
(e) To conduct yield field trials, laboratory pr ocessing and fibre and spinning quality for 
characterizing the crosses population (improved germplasm).  It is realized that the 
proposed project in 5 years starting from the making of crosses can only go to the stage of acquiring I proved germplasm.  It will need additional 5 years or more to develop into varieties in another phase of the project.  The second phase to be funded by Government of Uganda. 
III. DESCRIPTION OF MAIN ACTIVITIES / COMPONENTS 
(a) Upgrading the capacity of electricity supply to enable running of cotton processing 
equipment. 
(b) Constructing a fibre testing and spinning laboratory. 
(c) Preparation of germplasm, import permits  and collecting germplasm from various 
cotton research programmes abroad.  Will requi re staff visits to  neighbouring cotton 
growing countries.  
(d) Making crosses and back crosses between in troduced germplasm and Uganda cotton, 
selfing and selections. 
(e) Conducting on-station field trials, labora tory processing for yield components and 
fibre and spinning quality testing. 
IV. EXPECTED RESULTS 
(a) Electricity capacity of ginning house upgraded; Cotton processing equipment 
commissioned. 
(b) Spinning laboratory constructed; fibre tes ting and spinning equipment installed and 
commissioned.  WT/CFMC/W/28 
 Page 3 
 
 
  (c) Seed import permits prepared; study visits in search of germplasm made; germplasm 
imported.  
(d) Crosses and backcrosses made; crosses advanced. 
(e) New desired gene combinations for yield (GOT), fibre and spinning characteristics 
identified. 
(f) Improved stocks germplasm (crosses) fo r further detailed field and laboratory 
evaluation and selection acquired. 
V. COST: US$ 382,500 
Year 1 US$ 157,500 
Year 2 US$   25,000 
Year 3 US$   75,000 
Year 4 US$   75,000 
Year 5 US$   50,000 
TOTAL US$ 382,500 
 
VI. ACTIVITIES TO BE FUNDED 
 
Upgrading electricity supply in ginnery house at Serere US$   22,500 
Constructing spinning laboratory and install available 
equipment US$ 125,000 
Collecting germplasm from abroad US$   10,000 
Making crosses and back crosses US$   75,000 
Field and laboratory evaluation of crosses, data analysis 
and documentation of improved germplasm US$ 150,000 
 
 
VII. FINANCIAL PLANNING OF  PROJECT ACTIVITIES 
 
Activity to be funded Amount (US$ thousands) 
 Yr 1 Yr 2 Yr 3 Yr 4 Yr 5 Total 
Upgrading Ginnery Electricity supply 22.5 - - - - 22.5 
Construction of Spinning laboratory 125 - - - - 125 
Germplasm collection 10 - - - - 10 
Making crosses and backcrosses - 25 25 25 - 75 
Field and lab evaluation of crosses - - 50 50 50 150 
TOTAL 157.5 25 75 75 50 382.5 
 
VIII.  DURATION:  five years.  
IX. IMPLEMENTING AGENCY:  Serere Agriculture and Animal  Research Institute (SAARI).  
 WT/CFMC/W/28 
Page 4  
 
  X. LOCATION:  NARO : Serere Agricultural Research  Institute (Field trials, cotton  processing 
and spinning tests);  CDO (for comparative HVI testing on fibre quality).  
XI. PARTNERS:  Agriculture Productivity Enhancement Program (APEP) – USAID; Uganda 
Ginners and Exporters’ Association (UGCEA);  Southern and Eastern Africa Cotton Forum 
(SEACF);  ICAC.  
   
__________