Cotton was introduced in Uganda in 1903. Cotton in Uganda is cultivated at altitudes varying from 3,500 feet to 4,500 feet above sea level and is entirely rain fed. In the Northern areas, with one rainy season, cotton planting starts at the beginning of the April - June rains. In the South, with two rain seasons, planting occurs later in the June - July period. Cotton is not inter-planted with other crops but, it is grown in rotation with other crops.

Cotton in Uganda is cultivated at altitudes varying from 3,500 feet to 4,500 feet above sea level and is entirely rain fed. In the Northern areas, with one rain season, cotton planting starts at the beginning of the April – June rains. In the South, with two rain seasons, planting occurs later in the June – July period.Seed cotton is a source of raw material in the production of edible oils, soap, textiles, and seed cake for feeding livestock, among others.

Cotton Development Organisation (CDO), a statutory body established in 1994, regulates and promotes the cotton industry in Uganda. With CDO‟s and other donors‟ interventions, national average yields of seed cotton have improved from 250 to 600 kg per hectare.Over 150,000 subsistence farmers grow cotton on a regular basis on 0.5 Ha to 1.0 Ha. Thirty-three (33) operational ginneries in Uganda, two operate raw gins and the rest use double roller gins - one ginnery operated by a cooperative union but the rest by private companies.

The export price per kilogram of Cotton from Uganda in 2023 was estimated to be around 1.90 US dollars per kg, and in 2024 will be projected around 1.93 US dollars per kg. The proposed investment opportunities in the Cotton sector include undertaking the following:

• Cotton Ginning with Cotton Seed Oil, Animal Feed and Absorbent Cotton Wool Production Cotton Yarn Spinning

• Cotton Ginning with Absorbent Cotton Wool Production

• Cotton Ginning with Cotton Seed Oil and Animal Feed Production

According to the CDO, cotton is the third-largest export crop in the country, providing a livelihood for 250,000 households countrywide. The government has announced a sh7.5b subsidy for the cotton industry following a decline in the price of cotton on the international market.