Senegal: Cotton and Products Annual
MY 2015/16 seed cotton production in Burkina Faso, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Chad is expected to fall 7 percent from USDA official numbers to 1.7 million tons, a 9 percent decrease from last season’s due to a late start of the rainy season and unexpected rains during a critical development phase of cotton bolls, thus reducing the aggregate yield and area planted. Burkina Faso will remain the top cotton producer with 650,000 tons followed by Mali (550,000 tons), Cote d’Ivoire (300,000 tons), Chad (180,000 tons), and Senegal (31,000 tons). Post estimates MY2016/17 seed cotton production at 1.9 million tons, a 13 percent increase over last season’s if the climate is favorable. Burkinabe farmers may reduce or stop Bt cotton production by 2017/18, if a solution is not found between cotton actors and Monsanto regarding the short fiber length issue.
