India to train African cotton traders

India is all set to train a large number of cotton traders from African countries from Tuesday.

The South India Textile Research Association is starting a 10-day programme on cotton cultivation, commerce, quality aspect and value addition in Coimbatore.

The June 19 and 30 programme will be attended by members of cotton farming/trade/ industry from French-speaking West African cotton producing nations.

The programme, supported by India's Textile Ministry, is held under the initiative of the ministry of external affairs.

SITRA officials said two of the external affairs ministry officials, Hans Raj, director, and Primrose Sharma, joint secretary (TC), will be present during the programme's inaugural/valediction.

Cotton experts from the International Trade Centre, Geneva; South India Cotton Association and the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore would extend technical inputs for the programme, in which the cotton growers, trade and industry from leading West African cotton-producing countries such as Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Ivory Coast, Mali and Nigeria will participate.