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Fibre2Fashion
Published
May 7, 2017
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Burkina Faso’s cotton output may cross 800,000 tons

By
Fibre2Fashion
Published
May 7, 2017

Cotton production in Burkina Faso, one of Africa’s top growers, is likely to cross 800,000 tons in 2017-18 season, according to the country’s cotton association. In 2016-17, farmers in Burkina Faso produced 683,000 tons of cotton, around 17 per cent more than the 586,000 tons harvested in 2015-2016. Cotton is the second largest export item for Burkina Faso.



For the new season, the government has set cotton price at 245 CFA francs ($0.40) per kilogram, which is slightly higher than 235 francs in the 2016-17 season.

In 2003, Burkina Faso became the first country in Western Africa to allow cultivation of Bt cotton on an experimental basis. By 2007-08, genetically modified cotton became popular in the country. In 2009-10, farmers planted Bt cotton seeds on 120,000 hectares of land.

However, last season, the country returned to sowing conventional seeds. This has eliminated almost all short fibres, a Bloomberg report said quoting Georges Yameogo, general secretary of the nation’s cotton association. 

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