Senegal is targeting a significant surge in cotton seed production, aiming to increase output by 66% to 25,000 tons by the end of the 2025/2026 campaign. The plan was announced by Papa Fata Ndiaye, General Director of the Society for Development and Textile Fibres (Sodefitex), ahead of the 21st Annual Days of the African Cotton Association (Aca) held in Dakar from May 15 to 17.
This increase, up from 15,508 tons in the previous season, will be supported by expanding the cultivation area to 21,000 hectares, up from 12,000 hectares. The strategy forms part of Senegal’s broader vision to ramp up cotton seed production to 100,000 tons by 2029.
However, Ndiaye cautioned that achieving these goals will require overcoming several structural hurdles. Key among them is irregular rainfall, which disrupts cotton’s growth cycle and limits yields compared to other West African countries like Mali and Burkina Faso.
“Senegal experiences breaks in rainfall during the rainy season, which causes water stress for the plant,” Ndiaye explained. “Efficient cotton production requires continuous rainfall from June to October.”
Another challenge is competition from more profitable crops like peanuts, which often tempt farmers to abandon cotton due to better returns.
Despite these issues, the Senegalese government sees cotton as a vital contributor to rural livelihoods and national export revenues. In 2024, Senegal exported just 5,612 tons of cotton, earning CFA6.6 billion (approximately $11.3 million), according to the National Agency of Statistics and Demography (ANSD).
If successful, the expansion plan could significantly boost the economic impact of the cotton sector and enhance Senegal’s competitiveness in the African textile value chain.
