Cotton
ZAMBIA COTTON SECTOR KEY FIGURES
| Lint Production 2016 | Lint Production 2019 | Decline | Decent Work Guidelines |
|---|---|---|---|
| 105,000 bales | 68,000 bales | -35.2% | Launched May 30, 2025 |
Zambia’s cotton lint production fell 35.2% from 105,000 bales of 480 pounds each in 2016 to 68,000 bales in 2019, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, prompting government and industry to launch Decent Work Guidelines for the cotton sub-sector in May 2025 to rebuild fair pricing, farmer support and value addition across the value chain.
The Cotton Board of Zambia, a statutory body established under the Cotton Act No. 21 of 2005, regulates the production, ginning and marketing of cotton, and reopened registration for the 2026/2027 cotton season from August 3 to August 31, 2026.
Production Trends
Zambia’s cotton lint production fell from 105,000 bales of 480 pounds each in 2016 to 107,000 bales in 2017, before declining to 89,000 bales in 2018 and 68,000 bales in 2019, a drop of 35.2% over three years, according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service[1]. USDA’s more recent annual estimates for Zambia have held at a flat, subdued 40,000 bales through the 2020 to 2025 marketing years, reflecting continued pressure on the sector relative to its mid-2010s output[1].
Regulatory Framework and Decent Work Reform
The Cotton Board of Zambia is a statutory board under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, established under the Cotton Act No. 21 of 2005, empowered to regulate the production and ginning of seed cotton and to control the production and marketing of cotton, with an inspectorate department that enforces quality standards, licensing and compliance across the value chain[2]. On May 30, 2025, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Cotton Board of Zambia, TrustAfrica, Solidaridad Southern Africa, the International Labour Organization and the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions jointly launched Decent Work Guidelines for the cotton sub-sector, built around six pillars: fair remuneration and farmgate prices, freedom of association and collective bargaining, safe and healthy workplaces, social protection for seasonal workers, transparency and accountability, and capacity building and productivity[3]. At World Cotton Day observances on October 7, 2025, Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary John Mulongoti, representing Minister Reuben Mtolo Phiri, reaffirmed government commitment to revitalising the sector and called for continued investment in processing, farmer support and research, citing reforms under the Cotton Act and Zambia’s ambition to expand competitiveness in regional and global markets through the African Continental Free Trade Area[3].
Investment Opportunities
With lint production down more than a third from its 2016 peak and government explicitly naming processing and value addition, rather than raw seed cotton output alone, as its investment priority for the sector, ginning and downstream textile capacity stand out as the segments of Zambia’s cotton value chain government itself has flagged for new capital[1][3]. The Decent Work Guidelines’ explicit focus on fair farmgate pricing and stronger farmer organisation, developed jointly with ginners and buyers, further signals that the sector’s institutional groundwork for more stable, better-supplied contract farming and out-grower arrangements is now in place for investors willing to engage with it[3].
Last Update: September 2026
