A factory to manufacture cotton for the healthcare industry is due to be built in Mozambique with capacity to process 30,000 tons of seed cotton per year, said Hu Xiuxiang, of China Africa Cotton (CAC), cited by Mozambican daily newspaper Correio da Manhã.

Representing an investment of US$3 million, the new factory, the first of its kind to be built in Mozambique since the country’s independence in June 1975, will also have capacity to produce 3,000 litres of cooking oil per year.

According to the newspaper, the factory, which will be located in the Maringué district of Sofala province, depends only on the installation of a power transmission line, a request for which has already been made to the Mozambican authorities by the Chinese company.

Cotton is one of Mozambique’s main export products, which in 2011/2012 produced around 184,000 tons of seed cotton and 70,000 tons of cotton fibre. Fibre provided revenues of US$110 million and seed sales brought in US$15 million. (macauhub)