Grant to Improve Lives and Expand Cotton Production in Mozambique

WASHINGTON -- The National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) through its international development program CLUSA, today announced the receipt of an $8 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to improve the livelihoods of 60,000 small scale cotton farmers in Mozambique. The grant will fund The Cotton Value Chain Improvement Project, a 5-year project aimed at increasing Mozambican farmers' cotton yields-and profits-by improving their efficiency in producing cotton.

"NCBA is enthusiastic about this opportunity from the Gates Foundation which allows us to apply our 54-years of international experience to help raise the incomes of small-scale farmers in Mozambique," said Paul Hazen, President and CEO, NCBA. "NCBA's cooperative development work focuses on organizing farmers and building their capacity in production, marketing and business management."

To read the full press release, visit the The National Cooperative Business Association Web site.