PART III. 
CHAPTER III. 
THE COTTON INDUSTRY IN UGANDA, 
(This item was discussed by the Cotton and Agricultural Sections 
jointly.) 
Mr. SIMPSON made the following statement : — 
The Cotton Industry of Uganda is unique in many respects and 
holds a leading position amongst the new Cotton-growing fields within 
the Empire. Cotton exports for 1925 equalled 196,038 bales of 400lbs. 
each, valued at over four and a half millions sterling, or practically 
929, of Uganda’s total exports... 22,000 tons of cotton seed were 
exported, valued at £128,000, so cotton and cotton seed were 
responsible for 94.859, of Uganda’s exports during 1925. 
The industry is entirely one of native production, and is the result 
of the cultivation of hundreds of thousands of small cotton plots in all 
parts of the Protectorate. 
It is estimated that 617,324 acres were planted with cotton in 
1925, compared with 572,814 acres in 1924. 
The cotton acreage is distributed amongst the four Provinces, as 
follows : — 
Eastern Province ... ye nA 383,613 acres 
Buganda Province ... ho i 200,000 ,, 
Northern Province ... oh ep 26.829 ,, 
Western Province ... =, a 6.852% 
Total ... Eis 617,324 acres 
The Cotton is of good quality from 1 1-8 inches to 1 8-16 inches in 
length, strong and fairly regular. 
Uganda Cotton commands a ready sale on the world’s markets at 
prices ranging from 250 to 300 points on American ** middling,” i.e., 
from 24d. to 3d. per lb. above American ‘‘ middling,”’ and the demand 
for this type of Cotton is practically unlimited. 
Owing to the position: of Uganda and its distance from the sea, 
in development work it has been necessary to concentrate on highly 
priced products. Government has therefore given every possible 
assistance to the extension of the Cotton industry, and to-day’s results 
are due to propaganda work carried on during a period of nearly 
twenty years. 
The development of the industry has been retarded owing to the 
absence of a complete and efficient system of cheap transportation, 
which railways only can provide, but the Railway system is now being 
steadily improved and extended. 
The Uganda Government has throughout taken a practical 
interest in the industry and its development has been guided along 
certain well-defined lines. 
Fortunately, Uganda possesses a good system of main roads which 
have been gradually extended and developed, with the result that the 
increasing crops of cotton have been moved with little difficulty to the 
inadequate railway system. When all the cotton had to be carried 
by head loads, the production of cotton was strictly limited. Seed 
cotton is very bulky, easily damaged by adverse weather conditions, 
and 709, of its weight is cotton seed—a low priced produet. It was 
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