WT/CFMC/W/92  
 
3 May  2021 
(21-3754) Page: 1/5 
Sub-Committee on Cotton  Original: French  
 
  
DIRECTOR -GENERAL'S CONSULTATIVE FRAMEWORK MECHANISM ON COTTON  
PROJECT TO IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE IN SUPPORT  
OF COTTON PRODUCTION IN BURKINA FASO  
Communication from Burkina Faso  
The following communication, dated 3 May 2021, is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of Burkina Faso.  
 
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The Permanent Mission of Burkina Faso is submitting the project below, prepared by the Government 
of Burkina Faso, with a view to receiving technical and financial assistance f rom the cotton sector 
development partners in the framework of the Director -General's Consultative Framework 
Mechanism on Cotton.  
 
1  TITLE : PROJECT TO IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE IN SUPPORT OF COTTON PRODUCTION 
IN BURKINA FASO  
1.1  CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION  
1.1.  Cotton, or "white gold", takes pride of place in the economy of Burkina Faso. It accounts for 
more than 10% of GDP and  remains Burkina Faso's leading agricultural export and its second most 
valuable export after gold. Cotton also directly or indirectly supports more than four million people 
and therefore makes a significant contribution to poverty reduction and inclusive growth in our 
country. Given the strategic importance of the crop, it is included in the National Economic and 
Social  Develo pment Plan (PNDES) as a lever for the country's development.  
1.2.  The cotton crop is rain -fed and is grown by approximately 384,000 producers belonging to 
9,800  Simplified Cotton Production Cooperatives (SCOOPS -PC). Following the liberalization of the 
cotton se ctor in 2004, the domestic cotton basin was divided by decree into three production areas, 
exclusively assigned to three major cotton companies: (i) the SOFITEX1 area for SOFITEX 
(Société  burkinabè des fibres textiles ); (ii) the central area for the Faso Coton  company2 and (iii)  the 
eastern area for SOCOMA ( Société cotonnière du Gourma ).3 The three companies purchase seed 
cotton from producers, process it into lint and market both the lint and the seed.  
 
1 Provinces of Balés, Banwa, Bougouriba, Boulkiemdé, Comoé, Houet, Kénédougou, Kossi, Léraba, 
Mouhoun, Nayala, Noumbièl, Poni, Sanguié, Sissili, Tuy, Ziro, Ioba, Sourou and Passoré.  
2 Provinces of Ganzourgou, Bam, Kadiogo, Boulgou, Nahouri, Zoundwéogo, Bazèga, Kouritenga, 
Kourwéogo, O ubritenga and Sanmatenga.  
3 Provinces of Gourma, Kompienga, Tapoa, Gnagna, Koulpélogo and Komandjari.  WT/CFMC/W/92  
 
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  1.3.  In recent years, Burkina Faso, which used to be the  leading cotton producer in Africa, has 
experienced a substantial decline in production. Despite the ambitions of Burkina Faso's cotton 
producers, who were aiming for 800,000 tonnes of seed cotton, production in the 2018 -2019 season 
stood at 436,000 tonnes , a 29% drop on the 2017 -2018 season. Consequently, Burkina Faso is the 
fourth largest producer in Africa, behind Côte d'Ivoire, Benin and Mali.  
1.4.  Cotton production trends have fluctuated over the last ten years in Burkina Faso, falling from 
more than 720,00 0 tonnes in 2009 to approximately 440, 000 tonnes  in 2012 and standing at 
774,000  tonnes in 2017. An examination of the trends in yields over the last ten years shows that 
they have stagnated at an average of approximately 1.2 tonnes per hectare. This slump in yields is 
indicative of a number of difficulties, such as declining soil fert ility and pests.  
1.5.  The accelerating degradation of farmland, limited access to inputs, inadequate storage facilities 
for inputs, low levels of mechanization, climate change, boycotts by a number of producers and the 
threat of terrorism are among the factors that have had a considerable and negative impact on 
cotton production in Burkina Faso.  
1.6.  In view of these difficulties/challenges, measures must be taken to revive the cotton sector, 
which is a strategic link in the economic system of Burkina Faso.  The devel opment and 
implementation of a project for the sustainable improvement of cotton productivity is therefore 
justified.  
1.7.  To address these challenges, the main priorities envisaged are: (i)  improving cotton 
productivity; (ii) strengthening the supply of infras tructure to support production; (iii) strengthening 
institutional capacity.  
1.8.  In the long term, these measures will help to further professionalize cotton producers with a 
view to making their production systems efficient, sustainable, secure and resilient, helping to secure 
and significantly improve their income and their food and nutritional security.  
1.2  ACTION AREAS AND TARGET GROUPS  
1.9.  The Project to Improve Infrastructure in Support of Cotton Production in Burkina Faso covers 
the entire national cotton basin.  
1.10.  The target groups are cotton producers and their unions, support and advisory staff, cotton 
companies, cotton transporters and input suppliers.  
1.11.  However, specific support could be envisaged for the various organizations assisting these 
groups in the cotton production process.  
1.3  OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES  
1.3.1   Overall objective  
1.12.  The overall objective of the project is to help improve cotton productivity and production while 
adapting to climate change.  
1.3.2   Specific objectives  
1.13.  This project specifically aims to:  
a. impro ve cotton productivity and production;  
b. improve the infrastructure to support production;  
c. strengthen the institutional capacities of the National Union of Cotton Producers' 
Cooperatives (UNPCB) and the partnership/contractual arrangements between actors in 
the sector.  WT/CFMC/W/92  
 
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  1.4  PROJECT DESCRIPTION4 
1.14.  The Project to Improve Infrastructure in Support of Cotton Production in Burkina Faso aims 
to help improve cotton productivity and production while adapting to climate change.  
1.15.  The project has three components: (i ) improving cotton productivity; (ii) increasing 
infrastructure to support production; (iii) strengthening institutional capacity.  
1.4.1   Component 1: Improving cotton productivity  
Action 1: Increasing mechanization  
1.16.  In spite of the efforts made, the mechanization  levels of producers remain low. At the national 
level, there is one tractor for every 1,000  producers. The initiative therefore aims to improve the 
level of mechanization through the procurement of modern production equipment (tractors, 
rototillers, motor ized weeders, carts, ploughs, etc.). The purchase of motorized equipment will 
significantly reduce the arduousness of work, and above all, child labour on cotton farms. 
Mechanization will also help to offset a labour shortage that is a growing concern due to the spread 
of mining into agricultural areas.  
1.17.  This initiative will be implemented by performing the following activities: (i) purchasing 
harvesting kits for producers; (ii) identifying and improving maintenance workshops; (iii) supporting 
research (Inst itute for Research in Applied Science and Technology (IRSAT)) for the adoption of 
prototype cotton equipment (harvesting, sowing and plant protection treatment); (iv) purchasing 
personal protective equipment; and (v) purchasing drone sprayers. Subsidies (3 0%) will be made 
available to producers for the different  equipment.  
1.18.  As part of this initiative, farming machinery  cooperatives, supplied with appropriate 
equipment, are also to be set up. Prior to their establish ment, two experience -sharing trips will be 
made to two countries to learn how the  cooperatives  function  and are governed. Once set up, the 
service -providing cooperatives will receive relevant training in using the equipment.  
Five maintenance workshops will be upgraded to improve the cooperatives' s ervice levels, through 
the regular maintenance of equipment.  
1.4.2   Component 2: Improving infrastructure to support production  
1.19.  This component aims to support cotton production in a sustainable manner by increasing the 
supply of infrastructure and organic fertili zer. Its implementation will help to achieve expected 
outcome 2.1: improved infrastructure for input storage and expected outcome 2.2: improved quality 
of harvested cotton.  
Action 1: Increasing the supply of storage facilities and reducing post -harvest los ses 
1.20.  This initiative will increase the supply of infrastructure to support production and reduce 
post-harvest losses by building input storage warehouses and silos for cotton storage.  
1.21.  To reduce post -harvest losses, drying sheets, harvest bags and transport  bags are to be 
purchased.  
1.22.  Scales and other metrology equipment will be purchased to facilitate rapid weighing and the 
removal of products to avoid potential damage and loss.  
1.4.3   Component 3: Strengthening institutional capacity  
1.23.  This component aims to enhance  the institutional and management capacities of UNPCB, 
including by building the capacity of decentralized organizations.  
 
4 In French only.  WT/CFMC/W/92  
 
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  Action 1: Construction/rehabilitation of buildings for use by decentralized organizations  
1.24.  This initiative will subsidize , by 85% for o rganic cotton and 70% for conventional cotton, the 
construction or rehabilitation of infrastructure housing departmental and provincial unions. Through 
this initiative, h ead offices for the decentralized organic cotton organizations  will be built and the 
field team  will be strengthened . 
1.5  STRATEGY FOR IMPLEMENTATION, ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT  
1.25.  An organizational mechanism will be set up by the UNPCB  to implement the Project to Improve 
Infrastructure in Support of Cotton Production.  
1.26.  Specifically, each component of the project will come under the responsibility of a specialized 
unit under the supervision of a project leader.  
1.27.  UNPCB will be responsible f or the administrative supervision of the project under the general 
coordination of the Ministry of Trade.  
1.6  TOTAL COST OF THE PROJECT  
1.28.  The total cost of the project is estimated at: EUR 22,831,527  (CFAF  14,976,500,000) and 
financing is being sought from interested donor countries and organizations in the form of a grant.  
1.7  CONTACT ORGANIZATION  
Ministère de l 'industrie, du commerce et de l 'artisanat  (Ministry of Industry, Trade and Crafts)  
Secrétariat perma nent de la filière coton libéralisée (Permanent Secretariat for Monitoring the 
Liberalized Cotton Subsector)  
01 BP 6453 Ouagadougou 01 Burkina Faso  
Tel.: (+226) 2540 7755  
 
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  WT/CFMC/W/92  
 
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PP 5 and 6  - Offset (PDF appended)