Sudan is known for growing quality cotton, a history stretching back hundreds of years. But the African country's cotton industry has not always been a success when it comes to a complete chain of production from farming to processing to textile making. Now China is lending a helping hand, as CGTN's Meng Qingsheng reports.

It's the start of cotton planting season in Sudan's Qadarif state. Thirty-year-old Abdeen Shaa Edeen has been growing cotton for the past three years.



ABDEEN SHAA EDEEN COTTON GROWER "I have over eight hectares of cotton. It's the main source of income, which is enough for my family. With the money, I have bought land, tractors, and built new buildings for members of my family."

Thanks to the money he makes, Abdeen got married and became a father. His family is one of the success stories in the town of Faw which has benefited from a farming cooperation agreement with the Chinese company–New Epoch Agriculture. 



SHAA EDEEN AHMED FATHER OF ABDEEN SHAA EDEEN "We have many benefits from the company. We bought cottonseed from them for animal feed. We also sold them our cotton products at reasonable prices. They help us transport cotton from the field to the factory, among many other things."

MENG QINGSHENG GADARIF, SUDAN "Sudan used to be a major supplier of cotton around the world, but in recent decades, production experienced a sharp decline due to disease and pest damage. In 2010, Chinese experts came here and helped develop a new type of cotton. After years of trials, it now covers more than 90 percent of Sudan's total cotton plantation, and benefited over 200 thousand growers in the country."

New Epoch Agriculture was launched in Sudan in 2012. It invests in cotton production, processing as well as marketing. The company's cotton ginning factory has an annual production capacity of 15-thousand tons of lint cotton.



TIAN ZHONGHUA, PROJECT MANAGER NEW EPOCH AGRICULTURE "We cooperate with locals to grow cotton, and help them to increase cotton production, and their income, too. At first, we planted only 300 hectares of cotton. Now it's 10-thousand. Based on the success, we plan to grow 60-thousand hectares of cotton in the next few years."

Qadarif State is part of the Sudan's Rahad Irrigation Project. But inadequate water sources have hindered its agricultural efforts, and affected people's daily life. For Abdeen, his wish is a simple one.

ABDEEN SHAA EDEEN COTTON GROWER "In the future, I am planning to increase cotton planting, and to buy a big house and a car. I simply want to grow more cotton."

Chinese companies are helping Sudan build textile and ready-made clothing factories to complete the cotton industry's chain of production. It's a step closer for people like Abdeen to fulfill their simple wishes. Meng Qingsheng, CGTN, Qadarif, Sudan.