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China-Africa Trade Information Service
http://info.afrindex.com
China-Africa Trade Information Service
Cotton production in the CFA zone fell for a second consecutive season in 2025/2026, as erratic rainfall and pest damage weighed on harvests across several major producing countries and reshaped the region’s production ranking.
Seed cotton output in the main producing countries totaled nearly 1.98 million tons, down 14.2% from 2.31 million tons the previous season, according to industry data compiled by the Regional Program for Integrated Cotton Production in Africa (PR-PICA) and published in its latest bulletin in July 2026.
The decline follows another contraction in 2024/2025 and takes regional production further below the nearly 2.6 million tons harvested in 2023/2024. PR-PICA attributed the downturn mainly to irregular weather conditions that affected most producing countries, along with difficulties controlling jassids, a major cotton pest, in some markets. “Irregular rainfall is the main cause of this decline in production. In Mali, the negative impact of jassids on production was also noted,” the organization said.
The decline, however, varied widely across countries. Production gains in some areas were not enough to offset losses among several of the region’s largest producers.
Mali recorded the steepest contraction, with production down 39.5% to 397,540 tons in 2025/2026. The drop cost the country its position as the CFA zone’s largest producer, with Benin taking the top spot after harvesting 533,590 tons. Benin’s cotton industry also recorded a decline, however, with production down 16.3% from the previous year.
Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon followed the broader downward trend. Their harvests fell 0.4% and 11.9%, respectively, to 310,407 tons and 250,722 tons.
Burkina Faso Bucks the Regional Trend
Among the major producing countries, Burkina Faso was the only exception. Its cotton harvest rose a modest 7% to 313,042 tons, allowing it to overtake Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire and become the region’s third-largest producer behind Benin and Mali.
The strongest production gains came from countries that still account for relatively small shares of regional output. Senegal posted the largest increase, with its harvest jumping 62.2% to 25,166 tons. Chad and Togo each recorded growth of 30.3%, reaching 75,268 tons and 78,706 tons, respectively.
The results also highlight wide productivity gaps across the region. Cameroon recorded the highest yield at 1,268 kilograms per hectare, followed by Senegal at 1,235 kg/ha and Côte d’Ivoire at 1,069 kg/ha. Chad and Mali had the lowest yields, at 545 kg/ha and 745 kg/ha, respectively.
What to Expect in 2026/2027?
The new cotton season is already underway across the CFA zone, with the first planting reported in May. Producers are entering the season with costs still under pressure, particularly because of higher fertilizer prices on the international market.
In its Commodity Markets Outlook published in April, the World Bank forecast that global fertilizer prices would rise more than 30% in 2026, driven by disruptions to maritime shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic corridor that handles nearly one-third of global seaborne fertilizer trade. The bank said urea, the world’s most widely used nitrogen fertilizer, could cost nearly 60% more this year than in 2025.
“We are nevertheless pleased to see that governments have made efforts to provide support in most countries, allowing fertilizers to be supplied and seed cotton to be purchased at reasonable prices,” PR-PICA President Tete Awokou said, expressing confidence about the current season.
After two consecutive seasons of declining output, a recovery in 2026/2027 is particularly important because cotton, whose prices are volatile on international markets, is the main source of agricultural export earnings for countries including Benin, Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad.
