Benin loses top spot as Africa’s leading Cotton producer to Mali

This shift marks a significant change in the continent’s cotton production landscape, as detailed in the latest report from the Regional Program for Integrated Cotton Production in Africa (PR-PICA).

Mali reclaimed the top spot with an impressive production of 690,000 tonnes of cotton, a significant increase from its previous season’s output of 389,750 tonnes.

This surge has allowed Mali to surpass Benin, re-establishing itself as the continent’s dominant player in the cotton industry.

Despite this, Benin, under the leadership of President Patrice Talon, managed to increase its cotton production compared to the previous season.

For the 2023-2024 season, Benin produced 600,063 tonnes of cotton, up from 588,105 tonnes in 2022-2023.

However, this growth was not enough to maintain its position at the top.

In a surprising development, Cameroon emerged as the third-largest cotton producer on the continent, overtaking Burkina Faso.

Cameroon’s cotton output for the 2023-2024 season reached 394,090 tonnes, a substantial rise from the 314,457 tonnes produced in the 2022-2023 season.

The overall cotton yield across participating African nations saw significant improvements, with increases ranging from 11% to 53%, reflecting a generally more successful season compared to the previous year.

The PR-PICA program, which includes countries like Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, and Togo, plays a crucial role in supporting and monitoring cotton production across Africa.

The recent shifts in rankings underscore the dynamic nature of the cotton industry on the continent, with countries like Mali and Cameroon making significant strides in boosting their agricultural output.