China's natural color cotton industry has received a boost with
news that contracts involving 8,000 tons of cotton have been signed
with overseas business representatives at an ongoing trade fair in
northwest China's Xinjiang region.
"Two companies from India and Pakistan have signed contracts
worth 197 million yuan (26 million U.S. dollars) with us," said Yu
Wanchun, chief executive officer of China Colored-Cotton Group
based in Xinjiang, the world's biggest production base of natural
color cotton.
Exports to South Asian countries account for one third of the
total of the company's exports, said Yu, adding that cotton
merchants from the United States, Sri Lanka and Sweden were also
showing interest in Xinjiang's color cotton.
Jayant B. Shah, of Gilla Co Pvt Ltd. in India, said India's
demand for the color cotton was rising along with people's
awareness of environmental protection.
"The color cotton does not need to be dyed and will not cause
pollution in processing," said the Indian merchant, at the five-day
economic and trade fair held in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, which
began on Saturday.
"Color cotton-made garments do no harm to human bodies and thus
are becoming increasingly popular among consumers," said the
businessman.
China produces about 30,000 tons of natural color cotton each
year, accounting for nearly 60 percent of the world's total.
Ninety-five percent of China's color cotton is produced in
Xinjiang, which has an area of 20,000 hectares sown to the
crop.
(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2007)
