WT/CFMC/W/61  
2 September 2015  
(15-4432)  Page: 1/9  
 Original: French  
 
  DIRECTOR-GENERAL'S CONSULTATIVE FRAMEWORK 
MECHANISM ON COTTON 
COMMUNICATION FROM BURKINA FASO 
The following communication, dated 29 June 2015, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Burkina Faso.1 
 
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  1  OVERVIEW OF THE COTTON SECTOR IN BURKINA FASO 
1.1  GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE COTTON SECTOR IN BURKINA FASO 
1.1.  The cotton sector in Burkina Faso was libe ralized in 2004, and its activities are split into 
three zones under the responsibility of SOFITEX, SOCOMA, and Faso Coton respectively. The map 
below shows the division into three zones of Burkina Faso's cotton growing basin. 
                                               
1 This document is being circulated following the delegation of Burkina Fas o's intervention at the 
23rd Round of the Director-General's Consultative Framework Mechanism on Cotton on 9 July 2015. WT/CFMC/W/61 
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Source: SP-SFCL 
 
1.2.  In Burkina Faso, cotton is a rain-fed crop. The main characteristics of the sector are the 
following: 
 around 350,000 cotton farms; 
 376,000 cotton producers; 
 9,000 Cotton Producer Groups (GPCs); 
 average total surface area per farm of 8.5 hectares; 
 average cotton production area per farm of 3 hectares; 
 small scale producers, not very literate, with an extremely low level of mechanization. 
1.3.  The distribution of crop ro tations on farms is as follows: 
Crop Before the 
2010/2011 season (%) As from the  
2010/2011 season (%) 
Cotton 45 30 
Cereals 56 56 
Other crops 9 14 
Source> SP-SFCL 
 
1.4.  In economic terms, it is worth noting that: 
 Cotton's contribution to the GDP is around 10%. For a long time, exports of fibre were 
the main source of foreign exchange for Burkina Faso's economy and regularly contributed to more than 60% of foreign currency earnings. DISTRIBUTION OF COTTON ZONES 
SOFITEX 
ZONE FASO 
COTON 
ZONE  SOCOMA ZONE 
Ginnerie s SOFITEX 
Zone Central 
Zone Eastern 
Zone 
Provincial boundary WT/CFMC/W/61 
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   However, the massive increase in gold mining in the past decade has seen cotton's 
average contribution to foreign exch ange earnings fall to around 35%. 
2  ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE OF THE SECTOR 
2.1.  The different stakeholders in the sector are the State of Burkina Faso, the cotton producers 
and companies, and the Cotton Industry Associat ion. The chart below shows how the sector is 
organized. 
 
Source: SP-SFCL 
 
2.1  The State 
2.2.  The chief role of the State within the cotton sector is: 
 to guarantee the regulatory, legislative and fiscal framework; 
 to determine agricultural policies; 
 to regulate and ensure the smooth functioning of the sector; 
 to develop infrastructure. 
2.2  The producers and their organizations 
2.3.  Since 1996, producers have belonged to associations called "Cotton Producer 
Groups" (GPCs). The main activities of these groups are: 
 distribution of inputs; 
 management of short- and medium-term loans; 
 marketing of seed cotton; 
 other related activities such as managing members' contributions and social welfare. 
‐ GPC 
‐ Unions départementales  
‐ Unions provinciales  
‐ SOFITEX 
‐ SOCOMA  
‐FASO COTON
Union Nationale  des Producteurs  
du Coton du Burkina 
UNPCB 
Association  Professionnelle  des 
Sociétés Cotonnières  
APROCOB  
Association  Interprofessionnelle  
du Coton du Burkina (AICB) Secrétariat  Permanent  de Suivi de 
la Filière Coton Libéralisée  
(SP/SFCL)  Famille des Producteurs  
 Famille des Sociétés Cotonnières
 Etat 
 Family of producers Family of cotton companies  
- GPC 
 - Departmental unions  
- Provincial unions 
National Union of Cotton 
Producers of Burkina  
 (UNPCB) State 
Interprofessional Cotton 
Association of Burkina  
(AICB) 
Professional Association of 
Cotton Companies of Burkina Faso 
 
(APROCOB ) Permanent Secretariat for Monitoring the Liberalized Cotton Sector 
(SP/SFCL) WT/CFMC/W/61 
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  2.4.  Today, there are almost 9,000 GPCs throughout the country's cotton growing area. In 1998 
they joined together to form cotton producers' uni ons, under the umbrella of the National Union of 
Cotton Producers of Burkina Faso (UNPCB). 
2.3  The cotton companies 
2.5.  Cotton companies are responsible for the following: 
 supplying producers with inputs; 
 giving producers advice; 
 buying, collecting and transporting seed cotton; 
 ginning seed cotton; 
 providing value added for finished products (f ibre) and associated products (cotton seed, 
fibre waste). 
2.6.  The cotton companies are grouped together  in the Professional Association of Cotton 
Companies (APROCOB). 
2.4  Interprofessional Cotton Association of Burkina Faso 
2.7.  The Interprofessional Cotton Association of Burkina Faso (AICB) is a non-profit association 
bringing together APROCOB and the UNPCB. It is responsible for: 
 the price-setting mechanism for seed cotton and the selling price of inputs; 
 approving cotton research programmes and budget; 
 managing the Smoothing Fund and the Inputs Fund; 
 creating a consultation framework to deal with issues of common interest to members; 
 managing the cotton chain through coordination among the different branches of the 
sector. 
2.5  The strategic partners 2.8.  These consist essentially of cotton research and the banks. 
2.5.1  Cotton research 
2.9.  Conducted by the National Institute for th e Environment and Agricultural Research (INERA), 
it plays a vital role in the production system and is in part responsible for the current dynamism of 
cotton production. It works upstream in the following areas: 
a. improvement of varieties; 
b. agronomy, cultivation methods and natural resource management; 
c. agricultural socio-economics; 
d. integrated crop protection and support. WT/CFMC/W/61 
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  2.5.2  The banks 
2.10.  Local and foreign banks operate on several levels, chiefly: 
a. financing crop season and input credits; 
b. making short-, medium- and long-term loans to producers; 
c. financing investment by cotton companies and other participants in the chain. 
3  DATA ON COTTON PRODUCTION  3.1.  Following the record production of 713,000 tonnes in 2005/2006 thanks to the measures 
adopted and implemented under the sector revival plan, production fell back to 360,000 tonnes in 
2007/2008, and 451,000 tonnes in 2008/2009, owing to adverse climatic conditions and depressed world cotton prices. 
3.2.  In 2009/2010, production fell to 361,997 tonnes, and in 2010/2011 to 335,398 tonnes, 
before rising again to 417,383 tonnes in 2011/2012 and 650,000 tonnes in the 2013/2014 crop 
year. 
3.3.  During the 2014/2015 season, production rose to 708,500 tonnes, 8% higher than the 
2013/2014 season. In 2015/2016, production is expected to reach 778,181 tonnes of seed cotton. 
3.4.  The graph below shows the performance of Burkina Faso's cotton sector as described above. Development of the acreage and production of  seed cotton as well as the yield in the 
field for the past ten seasons 
 500 600 700 800 900 1,000 1,100 1,200
 ‐ 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 700,000 800,000 900,000
2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16*
Rendement  au Champ (kg/ha)Production  (t) et Superficie  (ha)
Superficies  emblavées  (Ha) Production  coton graine (T) Rendement  moyen Coton Graine à l'hectare (Kg/ha)
 
Source: AICB 
Production (t) and area (ha) 
Yield in the field (kg/ha) 
Sown areas (ha) Seed cotton production (T) Average seed cotton yield per hectare (kg/ha) WT/CFMC/W/61 
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3.5.  Yields of seed cotton in the field have im proved, rising from an average of 700 kg/ha in the 
early 1990s to around a tonne at present (1,073 kg/ha in 2014/2015 as opposed to 1,007 kg/ha in 2013/2014 and 1,006 kg/ha in 2012/2013). 
3.6.  In recent years, however,  yields have continued to hover at just over a tonne, giving the 
impression that a ceiling has been reached in this respect. 
Production and yield data for 2009/2010 to 2015/2016 
Season Area 
(hectares) Seed cotton 
(tonnes) Average yield 
(kg/ha) Fibre 
(tonnes) 
2009/2010 417,335 361,997 862 150,365 
2010/2011 373,139 335,398 898 140,867 
2011/2012 429,380 417,383 972 173,556 
2012/2013 626,279 630,000 1,006 264,000 
2013/2014 645,372 650,105 1,007 270,084 
2014/2015 660,592 708,500 1,073 295,532 
2015/2016 (forecast) 738,181 778,181 1,054 326,000 
Source: AICB 
 
4  DATA ON THE QUALITY OF THE FIBRE 
4.1.  The quality of cotton in Burkina Faso has always been a matter of great concern for the 
stakeholders in the sector, since it is a key factor in the world cotton market. Consequently, 
Burkina Faso acquired a cotton fibre classification laboratory which has always enabled the sector to produce very high quality cotton, recognized throughout the world. 
4.2.  The laboratory used to classify cotton fibr e from the three cotton companies is accredited by 
COFRAC in accordance with standard NF ISO/CEI 17025. 
4.3.  This accreditation was maintained in accordance with No. 1-5133 Rev. 1 of 
29 November 2014 following the first monitoring assessment. 
4.4.  The table below lists the types of fibre produced in Burkina Faso. WT/CFMC/W/61 
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  Usual sales of Burkina Faso cotton in terms of  classification or grade (colour, trash 
content and preparation) 
Standard Grade White grades Grade Tinged grades 
Top grades BOBY / Super White cotton, 
lustrous, few 
impurities, good 
preparation BOLA / Super 
 Creamy colour, less 
trace, few impurities, 
good preparation 
BOBY White cotton, less 
lustrous, presence of 
some leaves, good or 
average preparation BOLA Creamy colour, less 
lustrous, presence of 
some leaves, good or 
average preparation 
Medium grades TOMA White cotton, slightly 
dull, presence of 
leaves, average preparation RUDY Creamy colour, some 
spots, presence of 
leaves, average preparation 
VOTA 
 Cotton, dull white to 
slightly grey, 
considerably more 
leaves than TOMA, 
average preparation VIVA Creamier colour, more 
leaves than RUDY, 
spotted, average 
preparation 
Lowest grades BUFA Greyish or variegated 
cotton, more leaves 
than VOTA, with 
preparation BABU More coloured and dull 
than VIVA, more 
leaves, with 
preparation 
BOBO / 3 Dull variegated cotton 
with many leaves, 
with preparation BOBO / 4 Strongly yellow tinted 
cotton, high trash 
content, with 
preparation 
Source: AICB 
 5  SECTOR MANAGEMENT TOOLS 
5.1.  The tools for managing the sector are chiefly the Interprofessional Agreement, the price 
setting mechanism referred to as the "Smoothi ng Mechanism", and the Cotton Inputs Fund. 
5.1  The Interprofessional Agreement (AIP) 
5.2.  This is a collective agreement between the producers represented by the UNPCB and the 
cotton companies represented by APROCOB. 
5.3.  The purpose of the Agreement is to de termine the practical arrangements for sector 
management missions that are entrusted to the AICB under the memorandum of understanding 
setting out the terms and conditions applicable to operators in the sector. This memorndum, 
signed by the State and the cotton sector operators (cotton companies and producers) defines the State's commitments with respect to the sector, whose management has been handed over 
entirely to the operators, as well as the obligations of the cotton companies and producers in 
connection with the operation of the sector. 
5.4.  In particular, the AIP defines the method for determining the purchase price of seed cotton 
and the selling price of inputs, and the mana gement procedures for other common functions 
(cotton research, seed multiplication and distribution, training and advice for producers, quality control of seed cotton, fibre classification, slope maintenance in production areas, gathering of economic, agronomic and statistical information, gu idance and general monitoring of the sector). WT/CFMC/W/61 
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  5.5.  Annexed to the AIP as an integral part ther eof are documents relating to the regulation of the 
Smoothing Fund and of the Cotton Inputs Fund. The second revision of the AIP was signed in April 2012. 
5.2  The cotton price-smoothing mechanism for producers 
5.6.  Adopted by the AICB in March 2006, the objective of the cotton price-smoothing mechanism 
for producers is to minimize cotton price fluctuations and high price volatility from one year to the next, thereby securing producers' earnings. It is structured around the following elements: 
a. determination of a floor price (set between March and April); this floor price takes 
account of market signals, as it is indexed to world cotton price trends and US$/€ exchange rate projections; 
b. coverage of the price risk thanks to a smoothing fund that guarantees the floor price 
against fluctuations in international cotton prices. 
NB: 
 The fund is added to when prices are higher  than the fixed trend price and drawn from 
when prices are below the floor price. 
 Smoothing Fund technical regulations and resources are managed and closely monitored 
by the Bank of Africa (BOA), which was selected following a call for tenders.  
 The mechanism provides for the determination and payment of a complementary price 
or rebate, which is fixed after the fibre has been for sale on the international market for 14 months (from January of year n to March of year n+1). 
 The rebate is paid when sales prices are higher than the price of the average trend 
indicated by the mechanism and after the mechanism has used a part of the surplus to 
replenish the Smoothing Fund. 
 After the Smoothing Fund has been replenished, which is a priority, the remaining 
amount is distributed to producers (60%) and the three cotton companies (40%). 
 Where the level of production is higher than  or equal to 500,000 tonnes of seed cotton, 
the distribution figures change to 62% for producers and 38% for the cotton companies. 
 The Smoothing Fund Association (AFdL) established by the AICB is responsible for 
monitoring and managing the mechanism. 
5.3  The Cotton Inputs Fund of Burkina Faso 5.7.  The cotton Inputs Fund is a mechanism whose chief objectives are: 
a. to reduce the cost of agricultural inputs (improvement of producers' income); 
b. to reduce the inputs burden for cotton companies, thereby improving their cash flow and 
enabling them to pay producers for cotton seed more rapidly. 
5.8.  With an initial endowment of CFAF 10 bi llion obtained through the State and the TFPs, the 
fund is monitored and managed by the Cotton Inputs Fund Association of Burkina (AFICB) set up by the AICB. 
5.9.  The technical regulations and resources of  the Inputs Fund are managed by a commercial 
bank, (ECOBANK Burkina), which was selected fo llowing a call for tenders. The fund became 
operational in September 2013. WT/CFMC/W/61 
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  6  CONSTRAINTS FACING THE COTTON SECTOR 
6.1.  The chief constraints facing Burkina Faso's cotton sector are the following: 
 the repeated cotton crises that threaten the survival of the cotton sector; 
 the fluctuation of the euro/dollar exchange rate that sometimes affects the sector's gains 
in competitiveness; 
 the stagnation of yields at around 1,000 kg per hectare for years; 
 the vulnerability of the production system to uncertainties and climate change; 
 the continuing decline in soil fertility; 
 the continuing rise in world input prices, which undermine the levels of yields, production 
and, in particular, earnings of producers in Burkina Faso; 
 the ever increasing share of synthetic fibres in global textile consumption. 
7  OUTLOOK 
7.1.  For the survival and prosperity of the co tton sector in Africa, and in Burkina Faso in 
particular: 
 countervailing measures must be introduced urgently to prevent stagnation, bearing in 
mind world price fluctuations and the size of deficits accumulated over the years; 
 market consolidation is essential in order to reach price levels that allow cotton of 
African origin to balance the books; 
 field productivity must be increased through improved exploitation and adaptation of 
transgenic cotton; 
 programmes must be developed to improve agricultural yields and water and soil 
conservation (stone barriers, compost pits, sowing under the cover of plants, cultivation 
techniques, etc.); 
 the possibility of an insurance mechanism suited to the increasingly uncertain climatic 
situation should be considered; 
 production should be processed locally to protect it from the negative effects of the 
international market. 
__________