ADEN REMAINS ONE OF THE WORLD'S TROUBLESPOTS AND MOST OF THE INDUSTRIES HAVE BEEN FORCES TO CLOSE DOWN. BUT THE PROTECTORATE LARGEST INDUSTRY -- COTTON -- CONTINUES TO DEVELOP.

COTTON WAS FIRST GROWN IN 1947 IN TOW WESTERN STATES OF THE PROTECTORATE -- FADHLI AND LOWER YAFAI.

BY 1956 THE SCHEME WAS MANAGED AND RUN BY LOCAL PEOPLE. AS MANY AS 6,000 FARMERS GROW COTTON IN GOOD SEASONS BUT OUTPUT VARIES WITH THE RAINFALL. THE YEARLY TARGET IS 13,000,000 LBS OF COTTON (5,850,000 KGS) BUT THIS FIGURE IS EXCEEDED IN A GOOD YEAR.

THE SCHEME'S GINNERY IS SITUATED ABOUT 40 MILES FROM ADEN ITSELF (64 KMS). THE ROUGH VALUE OF A BALE OF COTTON IS GBD46 (STERLING) -- MONEY WHICH ADEN NEEDS AS ABOUT 100,000 PEOPLE LIVE IN THE AREA COVERED BY PLANTING.

THE GINNERY HANDLES ALL RAW COTTON FROM SOUTH ARABIA AND EMPLOYS 40 PERMANENT STAFF ADN WHILE IT IS PRODUCING -- ABOUT SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR -- ANOTHER 600 WORKERS ARE TAKEN ON AS CASUAL LABOUR.

THE TENSE SITUATION HAS NOT AFFECTED THEIR LIVELIHOOD. BUT THEY ARE WHOLLY DEPENDENT ON THE RAINS WHICH RALL IN THE YEMINI MOUNTAINS.