By Christian Schindler
Director-General
ITMF
Proactive Attitude
The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), a non-profit and non-governmental organization founded in 1904, is an international advocate for the world’s textile and allied industries, and is dedicated to providing its membership with a neutral platform for the exchange of information and experiences.
In this function, it also acts as a spokesman for the world textile industry in matters relating to raw materials.
In 1985, the ITMF set up a Spinners Committee with the intention of creating a strong spinners’ voice in all matters of interest to the industry. Its main objectives are:
• Support the development of quality cotton fiber based on modern spinning requirements.
• Provide advice on harvesting, handling and ginning.
• Promote the mechanical testing of raw cotton.
• Visit cotton-producing countries with the purpose of fostering an interchange of ideas among breeders, farmers, ginners, traders and spinners.
• Propagate the progressive replacement of the traditional cotton classification with mechanical classing like HVI.
•Meet regularly with representatives from the international cotton industry.
Quality Can’t Be Overlooked
From the committee’s perspective, quality cotton is essential to the global supply chain. Cotton spinners pay a lot of attention to the basic characteristics of the cotton fibers (e.g. length, strength, micronaire, color, etc.) they are processing.
In this context, the ITMF conducts a survey every other year among spinning mills around the world with the objective to shed more light on spinners’ perception of cotton contamination, foreign matter, stickiness and seed-coat fragments in the cotton growths they consume.
In summary, cotton spinners prefer high-quality cotton with good intrinsic values that are preserved until they reach the spinning mills. In the end, it comes down to the fact that any cotton yarn, fabric and garment can only be as good as the cotton fibers used.