The head of Mali’s state-owned textile development company, CMDT, announced recently that Mali’s target cotton production is 800,000 tons by 2018. Last season, Mali produced a 552,000 tons. “It is an ambitious target,” Victoria Crandall, soft commodities analyst at Ecobank, told AFKInsider.
Where is better cotton grown in Mali?
Better Cotton is grown in North-East Mali and South Mali, with the first Better Cotton harvest taking place in 2011. When is Better Cotton grown in Mali? Cotton is sown from June to July and harvested from October to January.
How is cotton produced in Mali?
“Something that’s really critical to understand about cotton production in Mali is that it’s very much a holistic production system that also guarantees food security,” says Crandall. “Malian farmers typically plant one-third of their acreage with cotton, and two-thirds with staple grains” like maize or millet.
How much cotton will Mali produce in 2022/23?
BAMAKO, Dec 2 (Reuters) – Mali’s cotton output for the 2022/23 season is expected to reach 740,000 tonnes, down from a prior forecast of 810,000 tonnes, the head of the state cotton company CMDT said late on Thursday.
When is cotton harvested in Mali?
Cotton is sown from June to July and harvested from October to January. Cotton farmers in Mali face climate challenges, with shorter growing seasons, poor soil health, high input costs and unstable cotton prices. Farmers rely on rain to grow their crops, so extreme weather in the form of late and erratic rainfall causes real problems.
Why is Mali’s cotton so volatile?
Because Mali’s cotton is exported in a largely unprocessed state, there is even more exposure (unprocessed commodities are generally subject to more volatility than processed ones). As Longman puts it, “Down the line, the more the added value to those crops stays within the Malian economy, the better.”