Cotton is grown throughout Ethiopia at elevations above 1000 meters and below 1400 meters.^[1] Because most of the lowlands lack adequate rainfall, cotton cultivation depends largely on irrigation.

History

Cotton production has long been underway in Ethiopia. Before the revolution, large-scale commercial cotton plantations were developed in the Awash Valley^{[citation needed]} and the Humera areas. The Tendaho Cotton Plantation in the lower Awash Valley was one of Ethiopia's largest cotton plantations. Rain-fed cotton also grew in Humera, Bilate, and Arba Minch.

In 1867 it was reported that there were plans to construct a 362-kilometre (225-mile) road from the Ethiopian cotton fields to the Red Sea to trade with Egypt and Turkey.^[2] Since the revolution, most commercial cotton has been grown on irrigated state farms, mostly in the Awash Valley area. Production jumped from 43,500 tons in 1974/75 to 74,900 tons in 1984/85. Similarly, the area of cultivation increased from 22,600 hectares in 1974/75 to 33,900 hectares in 1984/85.^[1]

Given its excellent growing conditions, abundance of raw materials and availability of land, Ethiopia has the potential to become a major global cotton producer but the cotton industry in Ethiopia as of 2011 is far behind that of the coffee industry and cereal production.^[3] There are however, significant obstacles to the development of the industry in Ethiopia due to a distinct lack of administrative bodies to monitor and certify agricultural practices in the country and to process cotton in factories on a wide-scale commercial level. However, the development of the textile industry is a priority of the Ethiopian government in their economic growth strategy and in 2006 implemented an important privatization initiative to attract foreign and private enterprises to develop the sector.^[3] Despite its lack of governance, the Ethiopian cotton industry is self-sufficient and as of 2002 provides some 50,000 tons annually to the textile industry of Ethiopia.^[4]