Senegal: Cotton and Products Update
As initially forecasted in April 2015, C3+2 countries produced 3.5 million bales (1.8 million tons) of seed cotton in MY2014/15 (Aug/July). Despite the delayed and intermittent rainy season, production increased by 17 percent compared to the last year’s output, and a 2 percent increase compared to USDA official numbers. Chad and Mali played a key role in the overall production with 73 percent increase (142,000 tons) and 24.5 percent (548,000 tons), respectively compared to previous year’s production. Nevertheless, Burkina Faso remains the top cotton producer in West Africa with 9.7 percent increase (710,000 tons) followed by Cote d’Ivoire 11 percent (450,000 tons). Senegal seed cotton production decreased 10 percent (26,000 tons). With a good start of the 2015/16 rainy season, the countries forecast MY2015/16 seed cotton production at 4 million bales (2.1 million tons). Due to the declining international cotton prices, most countries anticipate farm gate prices will either remain the same or increase marginally. Fixed prices in Burkina Faso and Mali increased 4 percent and 1 percent respectively while it decreased 6 percent in Cote d’Ivoire.
