Cotton production report for 2006/07

26 May '07

3 min read

Preliminary results are quite positive as they have demonstrated a dramatic reduction in the amount of pesticides needed and an associated increase in yield. While farmers are anxious to have access to the technology, there are perceptions that licensing fees and seed costs will offset the economic benefits.

The concept of purchasing new seeds before the growing season is foreign to West African producers. The National Institute for Environmental and Agricultural Research (INERA), which manages the trials, is currently conducting analysis to determine the economic benefit of BT adoption.

Burkina Faso Cotton Sector Structure:
Privatization of the cotton sector in Burkina Faso began in 1998 when the Government sold some of its shares to the producers' organization (UNPCB). The subsequent partial privatization of the cotton sector in Burkina Faso has created three regional cotton companies.

SOFITEX, the core of the former parastatal, owns 13 gins making up approximately 80 percent of the ginning capacity. The Government of Burkina Faso (GOBF) owns 35 percent of SOFITEX, DAGRIS owns 34 percent and the producers own 30 percent. Faso Coton was formed in 2004 and operates in the central region with its single gin located in Ouagadougou.

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United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service

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