• Government supplies equipment and inputs to relaunch cotton production
• State cotton company targets sharp expansion of planted areas from 2025/2026
• Authorities bet on investment, partnerships, and reform to reverse long-term decline

The Guinean government is seeking to inject new momentum into the management and development of the cotton sector. On December 18, 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture officially handed over 50 power tillers and 2,000 tons of inputs, including fertilizers and crop protection products, to the Kankan Cotton Company (SCK), the main operator in the sector.

According to the authorities, the initiative aims to strengthen the company’s production capacity as it seeks to relaunch operations and support its growth ambitions. Speaking on the matter, SCK Chief Executive Officer Moussa Doumbouya said the company plans to finance at least 5,000 hectares of cotton during the 2025/2026 season, compared with an average of 1,000 to 2,000 hectares in previous years.

In the medium term, the goal is to double planted areas each year to reach significantly higher production levels within five to six years, Doumbouya added, according to comments reported by local outlet Mediaguinée. More broadly, the announcement is the latest in a series of initiatives reflecting renewed interest by Guinean authorities in the cotton sector.

In April 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture announced the signing of a cooperation agreement with Israeli company Netafim, a specialist in precision irrigation solutions. Through this agreement, the authorities hope to revitalize the sector, particularly via SCK, by making skills transfer a central pillar of the partnership. Netafim is expected to contribute its expertise to training local farmers in modern cotton production techniques.

“We have just signed a protocol to support Guinea in all hydro-agricultural development projects. We want to apply our global know-how in drip irrigation and good agricultural practices, notably for cotton cultivation and forage production. These techniques will improve yields, reaching up to 6 tons per hectare, and promote effective agricultural mechanization,” said Frédéric Dollon, Netafim’s representative in Conakry at the time.

A sector in decline for nearly two decades

To understand the challenge, it is necessary to look at the trajectory of the cotton industry, whose performance depends largely on SCK. Formerly known as the Guinea Cotton Company, SCK was created in 1982 by a French company to structure an activity covering around ten prefectures and generating thousands of direct and indirect jobs. Between 1997 and 1998, the company’s output was still estimated at nearly 100,000 tons per year, making cotton one of the country’s main cash crops.

According to official data, the withdrawal of the French partner marked the start of a prolonged decline. Production collapsed, gradually falling to 40,000 tons and then to just 2,000 to 3,000 tons per year today. The company currently operates at a very low pace, with aging equipment and sharply reduced processing capacity. Authorities attribute this situation to a lack of investment, the absence of a clear recovery strategy, and management shortcomings.

The measures now under way reflect an attempt to reverse this trend based on three pillars: industrial rehabilitation, direct support to producers, and technological partnerships. The Ministry of Agriculture also announced in December 2025 that 30% of SCK’s share capital had been paid up, allowing the company to clear salary arrears and prepare for the 2025/2026 cotton season.

Future developments will determine whether the sector can gradually regain its former stature. In Guinea, cotton is grown in five administrative regions, with more than 1 million hectares of cultivable land that remains largely underutilized. The sector is identified as a source of growth and national value creation under the Simandou 2040 program, the government’s strategic roadmap for transforming the economy over the next 15 years, from 2025 to 2040.

In the meantime, the West African country remains a small player in African cotton production, trailing major producers such as Benin, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso.

Stéphanas Assocle