Senegal’s cotton sector is showing signs of recovery after years of declining output since the record 52,000 tonnes produced in 2007.
Production has improved over the past two seasons, rising from 15,000 tonnes last year to an expected 25,000 tonnes this year.
Yields have also increased significantly, climbing from about 800 kilogrammes per hectare during the 2024–2025 season to just over 1.2 tonnes per hectare, a level comparable to or even higher than yields in major African cotton producers such as Benin and Côte d’Ivoire.
The improvement has been attributed partly to favourable rainfall over the past two years and stricter management of the sector. Sodefitex, the historic company that oversees Senegal’s cotton industry, has strengthened supervision of farmers and improved the selection of producers.
In 2023, the company also studied cotton farming practices in Cameroon in an effort to refine its working methods with growers.
Government support has also played a key role in the sector’s recovery. The state allocated 3 billion CFA francs to Sodefitex for the 2025–2026 season, helping to subsidise costly inputs and raise the purchase price paid to farmers.
While Sodefitex pays 270 CFA francs per kilogramme, producers receive 350 CFA francs due to an 80-franc subsidy. Authorities aim to increase production to 35,000 tonnes next year and reach 70,000 tonnes by 2035. However, challenges remain as low global cotton prices have left Senegal’s entire output in storage, awaiting more favourable export conditions.