Visiting Zegoua, near the Cote d’Ivoire border, Mali’s minister of State domains and land affairs, Mohamed Ali Bathily, announced that his administration would like to "give agricultural lands their real value". A goal which the official believes will not take place without the registration of all cultivated lands.

“Europe has done this since the 14th century; the United States have completed the registration process during the 18th century. In Mali, we plan, in the days, months and years to come, to register all lands in order to award titles to farmers,” explained Bathily.

In addition to “boosting land tenure”, the move will also ease access to loans for farmers. Registration gives access to loans. “Proof of this is that back in 2015, land titles issued by the domains office, according to the report of the Mali banks union, allowed a mortgage of FCFA1,534 billion. This new initiative will also help the government secure funds without relying on the debt market which often proves to complex and costly,” the minister said.

Souha Touré