Mali: Top 3 West African Seed Cotton Producers for the 2022-2023 Season
For the production of seed cotton, Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali are the main African countries.
Benin ranks first with a production of 587,000 tonnes, followed by Burkina Faso, while Mali ranks third in the 2023 season. This drop in position relegates Mali to third place among the continent’s producers of. white gold.
Several factors explain this drop in production in these Western countries. First, insecurity has led to a decline in cropland. Secondly, prices on the international market increased significantly, while the lack of fertilizer supplies affected various regions. Finally, insect pests attacked crops, which were insufficiently protected during the 2022/2023 season.
Benin has managed to better preserve its production compared to its neighbours in the face of these challenges. Authorities seem to have anticipated more effectively, which has allowed crops to better resist insect attacks.
