Cotton South Africa performs a range of essential services for the cotton industry and its stakeholders.
The organisation leads an industry forum that provides information and stimulates the production of cotton, and enhances the marketability of cotton through research, quality standards and norms and training.
Cotton SA provides the following services:
Quality control - the organisation assists with the grading and classification of cotton, focusing particularly on seed cotton and lint. They help compile lint and seed cotton grade standards, which is revised bi-annually and annually respectively. They also participate in international check test programs to maintain continuity and accuracy in the testing results of cotton. These programs are compiled and controlled by the Cotton Division of the United States Department of Agriculture and the Bremen Cotton Exchange. Furthermore, they publish information on all types of cotton cultivated in South Africa, with a special focus on quality, and guide arbitration within the seed cotton sector.
Laboratory services - Cotton SA tests cotton textile fabrics according to SABS and ISO standards. They offer the following tests: colour fastness to light; colour fastness to washing in domestic washing; colour fastness to perspiration; mass per square unit area (cotton content); dimensional stability on washing and drying procedures and fibre composition.
Training - the organisation presents grading and classification courses to ensure the uniform application of the grading standards in all cotton production areas. The focus areas include introduction to grading standards, grading and classification system as applied by Cotton SA, introduction to High Volume Instrument testing, and minimum specifications applicable to grade and quality in the present grading systems.
Cotton is a versatile fibre crop and the most widely used natural fibre. It is not only used in textiles such as clothing, towels and beddin...