West Africa’s leading cotton producers are preparing for the 2026/27 season with ambitious production targets, as Benin seeks to maintain its position as the region’s largest producer while Burkina Faso and Mali aim to recover from weaker harvests.
The region’s cotton sector is emerging from a mixed 2025/26 season, with Benin gaining ground, Mali losing its long-held leadership position and Côte d’Ivoire facing challenges in rebuilding farmer participation.
Benin, which overtook Mali to become West Africa’s top cotton producer last season, is targeting 700,000 tonnes of seed cotton in 2026/27, an increase of nearly 8 percent.
The government has introduced incentives to encourage farmers to expand production, including a CFA10 bonus per kilogramme if output exceeds the 700,000-tonne target. Authorities have also increased the fertilizer subsidy budget by 22.5 percent to CFA31.87 billion ($56.9 million) to help producers manage rising input costs.
Burkina Faso is also planning a strong rebound after a disappointing season, setting a target of 532,000 tonnes of seed cotton for 2026/27.
More Read
The target represents a 69 percent increase from the 314,293 tonnes produced last season, one of the largest projected recoveries among major West African cotton producers.
To support farmers, the government has maintained the price of a 50-kilogramme bag of fertilizer at CFA17,500 through a CFA15.8 billion ($27.4 million) subsidy financed by cotton companies.
Mali, which previously dominated regional cotton production, is seeking to reclaim its position with a target of 598,500 tonnes for the new season.
More Read
The figure would represent a 38 percent increase from the 433,700 tonnes harvested a year earlier. The state-owned Compagnie Malienne pour le Développement des Textiles (CMDT) plans to expand cultivated land by nearly 18 percent to 630,000 hectares.
Officials say achieving the target will require increased access to fertiliser, pesticides and insecticides, most of which are subsidised by the government. Farmers are also focusing on controlling pests, particularly the jassid insect, which has become a major threat to yields.
Côte d’Ivoire is taking a more cautious approach after two consecutive seasons of falling production. The country is targeting 400,000 tonnes of seed cotton in 2026/27, a 29 percent increase from the previous season.
However, the recovery depends on bringing farmers back to cotton cultivation after many shifted to crops such as soybeans and cashew nuts, which have offered better returns.
Official figures show the number of cotton growers in Côte d’Ivoire fell by nearly 20 percent to 79,979 during the 2025/26 season.
The competition among West Africa’s cotton producers reflects the importance of the crop for rural economies, employment and export earnings, with governments relying on subsidies and incentives to protect production in a market facing rising input costs and shifting farmer choices.
