Expertise
ULTRAMAILLE SA
is a textile factory situated in a « Free Trade » zone of Antananarivo, Madagascar. All our products are marketed by our main customer “Two Islands Ltd.”, Mauritius. ULTRAMAILLE SA specializes in fully fashion knit wear produced on electronic machines, on hand frames or crocheted by hand. In addition, we knit or crochet accessories and produce clothing containing cosmetics “cosmetic wear”.
ULTRAMAILLE SA knits on gauges 2.5 – 5 – 7 and 12. The majority of our products are remeshed and washed. We perfectly master the techniques of hand and machine embroidery as well as printing. We have integrated our own yarn dyeing and dipping dyeing into the manufacturing cycle. Our annual capacity is 400,000 sweaters.
Our Expertise
Organic cotton from Africa
Conventional cotton, a natural fiber ?
The cotton farming occupies 2.4% of the total world agricultural surface, but consumes 24% of pesticides sold in the world (Source : World Health Organization, WHO).
Artificial irrigation of conventional cotton uses more than two thirds of the world’s potable water resources. Around 5000 liters of water are necessary for producing 1 kg of cotton (Source : CNRS).
Several pesticides used for cotton growing are classified among the most dangerous substances and are prohibited by the World Health Organizations (WHO). According to the WHO, every year, 1 million farmers are poisoned and 22,000 people die as a cause of this.
Organic cotton used by ULTRAMAILLE SA
It is cultivated by small African producers using biological methods and without any aid of modified genetic organisms (MGO). They utilize natural pesticides such as pheromone traps or concoction of Neem leaves. Manure or silt serve as fertilizer. This cotton is collected by hand without the use of defoliants agents.
It is certified by the independent Dutch organization SKAL for its biological aspects :
Ultramaillerespects the strictest of the European norms for dyeing and environmental protection: no utilization of heavy metals or azo-dyes. The white color is obtained by oxygenated water and not by chlorine used in the traditional bleaching. The water used is treated and returned clean to nature. The steam used for dyeing is produced by a boiler fed with wood.
Benefits for the consumer and producer :
The absence of chemical products makes this cotton inoffensive in regards to skin contact. It is hypoallergenic.
It prevents the many illnesses that are commonly present in the traditional cotton farming that can poison the producers.
It spares the grower the dependence on loans because they can produce their own seeds in place of buying them.
Benefits for the environment :
The soil renews itself more easily as it is not exhausted by the intensive cultivation using pesticides and MGO’s.
The absence of chemical products renders this farming method non hazardous to the environmental species.
Not using MGO’s in seeding preserves the biodiversity of the traditional seeds of cotton.
