Côte d’Ivoire is targeting a sharp increase in cotton production for the 2026/27 season, with output expected to rise by nearly 29 percent to 400,000 metric tonnes as the country seeks to revive a key agricultural export sector.
The projection was announced by the country’s cotton ginners’ association, with Executive Director Brou Kouakou saying the industry aims to gradually raise production further to 600,000 tonnes by 2030.
“During this new season, the cotton sector will aim to reach the 400,000-metric-ton mark,” Kouakou told Reuters.
Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s leading cocoa producer, was once among Africa’s top cotton exporters before a civil war in 2002 disrupted agricultural activity in parts of the country.
Cotton production declined slightly in the 2025/26 season to 310,398 tonnes from 311,029 tonnes the previous year, mainly due to unfavourable weather conditions that affected planting decisions among farmers.
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The number of cotton growers also dropped to about 80,000 during the season from around 100,000 a year earlier.
Kouakou said low rainfall during the planting period, particularly in June of the previous season, affected crop establishment in some farming areas.
Despite the decline in output, productivity improved, with cotton yields rising to 1,145 kilograms per hectare in 2025/26 from 871 kilograms per hectare in 2024/25, reflecting improved farming practices and input use.
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The cotton sector is now aiming to attract more farmers and expand production as part of broader efforts to strengthen agricultural exports and rural incomes.
However, producers continue to face rising costs. Kouakou said the conflict in the Middle East has contributed to higher production expenses, particularly through increased fuel prices that have pushed up the cost of fertilizers, pesticides and other agricultural inputs.
Exporters are also dealing with challenges from disruptions in global maritime transport, which have extended delivery times for Ivorian cotton fibre and increased storage costs.
Côte d’Ivoire’s cotton season runs from May to April, with planting taking place between May and June, harvesting from October to January, and ginning and marketing activities carried out between November and April.
The government sees cotton, alongside cocoa and other agricultural commodities, as an important driver of rural development and economic diversification.
