Italian Cotton to Compete on World Market in 1947

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 172, 7 August 1937, Page 16

Italian Cotton to Compete on World Market in 1947

BOME — Italy anticipates that withxn the next 10 years she will hot only produce cotton in sufficieht quantity to meet fully her internal requirements, but that her own cotton will be on world markets in competition with the other cotton-producing countries. Italian independence from the world cotton markets is expected to be achieved by 1943, when Premier Mussolini's six-year valorization plan for his African Empire will have been carried out. Accoxding to the Istituto Cotoniero Italiano, the first step toward realizing tMs ambitious project will take place in July. when seed calculated to' produce a crop of 50,000 bales will be planted in Italy 's East African Empire. The two colonies which Italy possessed in East Africa prior to the conquest of Ethiopia, namely Eritrea and Soma'iland, have never produced more thau 10,000 bales. It is stated that only the best Egyptian Sakellaridis seed will be used in order lo obtain a tuperior grade of cotton. Measures have been taken to ensure that the plantjngs shali be rigorously supervised by government experts to maintain the standard of crops raised and to prevent inferior seed- from Hlering into the growths. Italy closely follow thc system adopted in Egypt and the inspection will be carried on aJso at the giuning mills. In this way Italy hopes to prevent what has occurred in other countries where the quality of the cotton has been low'ered by slipshcd methods ,of mixing isecds. Each ycar Ihe colton-growing i^cu i;i the Ethioxnau Empire is to be progressivcly extended until production reachcs the half million bales required ycarly £or Italy 's internal consumptiou. By J943 Italy hopes to enter the world markets as a compc^itivo cotton-produc-ing country. Italian spinners, and eventually also llio Italian cousuiuer, will benelit groatly by this attempt to niako Ilaly iudcpcndeut of foreign cotton. Tho coloniul growu cotton will bc paid for in tiro instcad of tho foreign curroncy on which spinners to-day frequently pay a proniium of 30 per cenl. Moreover, as the Ethiopian eottorv will be considercd an Italian merchandise tliero will be no dnty to pay, so that the ultimate cost of the tinished product Will be considerably Jowcred. Ilitherto, the cotton produced in Eritrea and Somaliland has been imported into this country on the same terms as foreign cotton, and it is hoped that this anomalv Will be correeted in the ncar future.