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Where Is The West African Cotton Industry Going?

2011/5/13 10:18:00 59

Africa

Cotton Association

Recently pointed out that since 2004, the West African cotton industry has fallen into a serious multiple crises.

2004 - 2005 and 2008 - 2009 two kinds of season, the total output of cotton in West Africa dropped from 1 million 200 thousand tons to 600 thousand tons, with a 50% reduction.

Similarly,

cotton

The proportion of consumption in global fiber products also dropped from 52% in 1975 to 35% in 2010.

In addition, African cotton farmers are also being treated by the developed countries to subsidize their cotton farmers, resulting in unfair competition for cotton in Africa.

According to the statistics of the international cotton supervision committee, the subsidy amount to cotton farmers in developed countries is as high as 4 billion 700 million US dollars in 2009 - 2010 seasons.

Among them, the United States accounted for 1 billion 800 million dollars.

In this regard, Mali, Buji, Faso, Benin and Chad 4 countries have submitted an arbitration application to the WTO dispute settlement body, but so far it has failed.

Cotton industry

It has always been an important pillar of economic and social development in West African countries, and is known as "white gold".

Cotton exports account for 50% of the total export revenues of Buji's FASCO and Benin, accounting for 30% of Mali, which directly or indirectly relate to the lives of millions of people, and play an important strategic role in driving other crop production, ensuring food security and promoting rural development.

It should be pointed out that Africa's cotton industry is not only subject to the negative impact of subsidies from developed countries, but also because of backward planting technology is also an important reason for its slow development.

All Africa except South Africa, only in 2008, Buji approved the introduction of genetically modified cotton seeds, planting area of 100 thousand hectares, accounting for only 1/4 of the total area.

Between 1995 and 2009, cotton production in West Africa dropped from 400 kg to 300 kg per hectare.

In India, because of the use of GM varieties, cotton has increased from 302 kg per hectare to 560 kg.

In terms of cotton processing, local processing capacity in West Africa is less than 2%.

Back in 1980,

West Africa

There are 41 cotton processing plants in the eight countries, but there are only 20 left in 2006.

Self produced textiles in West Africa account for only 17% of the local market consumption, most of which are imported from Asia and a small number of old clothes from Western Europe.

In order to change this situation, the West African Confederation of trade consortium put forward the development strategy of reconstructing and strengthening the cotton textile industry in 2003, and demanded that the cotton processing volume reached 25% of the total output by 2010.

President Toure of Mali also stressed that developing cotton processing is the fundamental way out for the survival of the West African cotton industry.

But in November last year, the Commissioner of the West African Confederation, responsible for enterprise, telecommunications and energy development, admitted that the strategic results were far from clear.

However, due to the good quality of West Africa's cotton, cheap labor, and the increasing local population and strong market demand, the West African cotton industry has a bright future.