ABIDJAN, June 25 – Ivory Coast is targeting cotton production of about 400,000 metric tons in the 2026/27 season, a nearly 29% increase from the previous season, as the country looks to rebuild output after weather-related setbacks.
Executive Director of the cotton ginners’ association, Brou Kouakou, said the industry plans to gradually raise production to 600,000 metric tons by 2030. Once one of Africa’s leading cotton exporters, Ivory Coast’s cotton sector has been working to regain momentum after years of disruption.
Production slipped slightly to 310,398 metric tons in the 2025/26 season from 311,029 tons a year earlier. Kouakou said poor rainfall during the planting period, especially in June, discouraged farmers from sowing the crop and affected early crop development. The number of cotton growers also dropped to about 80,000 from around 100,000 the previous season.
Even so, yields improved significantly. Average production rose to 1,145 kilograms per hectare in the 2025/26 season, up from 871 kilograms per hectare a year earlier.
Kouakou also said the conflict in the Middle East has pushed up production costs, with higher fuel prices increasing the cost of farm inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides.
At the same time, disruptions to global shipping have slowed exports of Ivorian cotton fibre and added to storage costs, creating fresh challenges for the sector as it works towards higher production targets.
Ivory Coast’s cotton season runs from May to April, with planting between May and June, harvesting from October to January, and ginning and marketing taking place between November and April.
