• Mali aims to raise seed cotton production to more than 650,000 tons in 2026/2027, up over 50% from 2025/2026 estimates.
• The government plans to expand planted area to 630,000 hectares and lift average yields by 17% to 950 kg per hectare.
• Cotton exports fell to $69.7 million in 2024 from $256 million in 2020 amid declining global prices.

Mali plans to increase its seed cotton production to more than 650,000 tons during the 2026/2027 marketing season. Local media reported the target on the sidelines of the 106th ordinary board session of the Malian Textile Development Company (CMDT), which took place on February 26.

If authorities achieve the target, they will deliver an increase of more than 50% compared with the crop estimated for the current season. Data from the interprofessional body cited by the Regional Program for Integrated Cotton Production in Africa show that Mali expects output of 433,700 tons of seed cotton in 2025/2026.

To support the objective, the CMDT plans to expand planted area by 96,000 hectares to 630,000 hectares in 2026/2027. The company also plans to raise average yields by 17% year on year to 950 kilograms per hectare.

Authorities acknowledged that the sector must address agronomic and structural constraints that disrupted the previous campaign. In several producing areas, insecurity has continued to hinder farming activities, while climate variability marked by floods and localized droughts has weighed on yields. Producers have also faced jassid infestations and delays in input supply.

In comments reported by Echos Médias, CMDT Chief Executive Officer Kouloumégué Dembélé said the company has prepared an interim recovery plan supported by an operational action plan to better anticipate these risks.

A Sector Seeking Stability

Seed cotton production in Mali has fluctuated over the past five seasons. After reaching a peak of 777,000 tons in 2021/2022, the sector has failed to exceed the 700,000-ton threshold again. The volatility has cost Mali its position as Africa’s leading producer to Benin on several occasions, most recently in the 2025/2026 season.

Cotton ranks as Mali’s second-largest source of export revenue after gold, and it weighs heavily on the country’s trade balance. Output instability therefore constrains export volumes and limits revenue generation. The issue has grown more acute because international prices have declined in recent years.

According to the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), the Cotlook A Index, which serves as the international benchmark for cotton prices, fell for a third consecutive season and averaged 79.6 U.S. cents per pound in 2024/2025. The index recorded a 13.4% decline from the previous season and reached its lowest average level since 2020/2021.

Data compiled on the Trade Map platform show that Mali exported nearly $69.7 million worth of cotton in 2024, compared with $256 million in 2020, a drop of almost fourfold.

Data from PR-PICA provided by email (Malian production over the last five seasons).

This article was initially published in French by Stéphanas Assocle

Adapted in English  by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum