Page 8 - 19 Cotton SA September 2019

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COTTON PRODUCTION IN
BURKINA FASO CONTINUES ITS
DOWNWARD SLIDE
Cotton production in Burkina Faso is continuing its
downward trend three years after the nation phased
out the use of GMO cotton.
In April this year, the Inter-professional Cotton
Association of Burkina (AICB), an industry body
comprising farmers and other sector players, set
a production target of 800 000 t of cotton for the
2018/19 cotton season. However, the country
produced only 436 000 t, despite a record US$27,4
million being offered as incentives to farmers in the form
of subsidies on insecticides, fertilisers and irrigation
facilities. The 436 000 t represented a decline of 29%
from the 2017/18 season, which was 10% down
from 2016/17. The decline in production has been
consistent over the past three years, which is of great
concern to industry players.
Burkina Faso, previously Africa’s largest cotton
producer, is now fourth, trailing Côte d’Ivoire
(455 000 t), Mali (653 000 t), and Benin (675 000 t).
The decline in production has been attributed to a
number of factors, including regional farmer boycotts
over unfair treatment, insecurity resulting from terrorist
attacks, and bad weather. But farmers mainly blame
the situation on increased pest attacks following the
government’s decision to phase out GMO cotton and
return to conventional seeds.
In 2008 Burkina Faso approved the cultivation of
GMO cotton, which reduced the use of pesticides by
up to 70%, while increasing productivity by about 22%
and smallholder farmer profits by an average of 51%.
However, following complaints that the fibre from the
new varieties was shorter in length, a decision was
taken in 2016 to completely phase out GMO varieties Burkina Faso cotton farmers loading their crop.
and return to conventional seeds.

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