Taytayley Textile Industry.
The Somalitex factory, whose 154 automated looms work 14 hours a day, turning out nearly 14 million meters (about 15 million yards) of cloth annually the Factory employed three thousand workers. The Somalitex futas vary in thickness, color, and design and most shops in the marketplace stock them as well as the imported polyesters. The latter, although impractical in the tropical heat, easily torn and expensive, seem to have captured the taste of Somali women by their bright patterns and varied textures.
Given the ideal climate for cotton plantation in Balcad, The state-owned textile plants at Balcad could supply the local market (now not operating). Textiles are produced at the SOMALTEX plant in balcad which supplies virtually the entire domestic market. Balcad Textile Factory was later upgraded and funded by West Germany. SOMALITEX facilities were greatly expanded. It is considered among the best equipped textile plant in Africa. The investment in cotton showed fewer long-term results than the investment in bananas.
The Administration of Balcad district of the Middle Shebelle Region supported by the Somali Federal Government encourage the foreign investment in the Region.
