West Africa: cotton sector players come together to better defend their interests

A farmer sorts cotton near Boromo, Burkina Faso, October 19, 2021 (illustration image). AFP - ISSOUF SANOGO

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2 min

The Regional Organization of Cotton Inter-Professions of Member States of the Economic and Monetary Union of West African States (ORIC-UEMOA) was created on Tuesday. Based in Abidjan, it brings together cotton sector professionals from Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin and Côte d'Ivoire. Its goal: to defend the interests of cotton stakeholders and better organize them.

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With our correspondent in Abidjan, Bineta Diagne

This organization is designed to reflect the opinions of all actors in the cotton sector, from planters to transporters and manufacturers. The objective is to exchange information and in particular to share good practices.

It also wants to take care of the recovery of activities after a campaign tarnished by jasside, a parasite that has affected a large part of production in recent months. "We need to share our experiences to fight against this parasite, which risks destroying the efforts that have been made, for years, for cotton production," explains Mathieu Adjovi, president of ORIC-UEMOA.

► Read also: West African cotton farmers face declining incomes

"Bringing together all needs"

By coming together, the actors of the sector also want to pool research or improve access to the input market. By being affiliated with this organization, cotton professionals hope to benefit from more advantageous rates. "What should change today for access to inputs is to consolidate all the needs of Senegal and other WAEMU countries," said Boune Oumar Bousso, deputy director of Sodefitex, a cotton industry firm in Senegal. The fact of pooling and ordering together, I think it would have a positive impact for the producers who will now buy these inputs ».

The WAEMU zone produces an average of two million cotton seeds and 900,000 tonnes of cotton fibres each year once processed at the factory. Eventually, this new organization would like to set up a quality label for West African cotton.

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