. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/CFMC/W/14 
18 April 2008 
 
 (08-1825) 
 Original:   French 
  
DIRECTOR-GENERAL'S CONSULTATIVE FRAMEWORK 
MECHANISM ON COTTON 
 
Cotton Projects
1 
 
Communication from Côte d'Ivoire 
 
 
 The following communication, dated 22 February 2006, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of Côte d'Ivoire.  
_______________ 
 
PROJECT NAME:  DRAUGHT-ANIMAL CULTIVATION 
  
A. C
ONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION  
1. Cotton plays a significant role in Ivorian agriculture , in particular in the savannah zone.  It is 
the main cash crop grown there.   Cotton cultivat ion has helped modernize farms in the savannah 
areas through the use of intermediate mechanization and animal traction.  These methods are practised 
by over 45 per cent of the farmers, covering 60 pe r cent of the area under cotton and producing 70 per 
cent of seed cotton. 
2. Although draught-animal cultivation costs 1.3 tim es as much as manual cultivation, it does 
offer a higher yield.  This means higher revenues for producers using animal traction than for those 
relying on manual methods. 
3. Unfortunately, the armed strife has severely aff ected such farming.  Not only have farmers 
stood helplessly by as most animal teams were destr oyed but the deteriorating situation is also making 
it impossible for them to acquire new draught oxen or even new equipment.   
4. Under a programme to rebuild and revive th e cotton industry, emphasis will be placed on 
creating plots for draught-animal cultivation and on renewing the pre-existing system by making spare 
parts available. 
B. COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT  
5. The aim of the project is to  create cultivation plots and equip them for draught animal 
farming;  it will also re-equip farmers who had prev iously been engaged in draught-animal cultivation 
by supplying them with spare parts. 
(a) Clearing land for public use; 
                                                      
1 This project was distributed to the Development Community by e-mail on 16 March 2006 and 
circulated at the 7th Round of the DGCFMC. WT/CFMC/W/14 
Page 2  
 
  (b) equipping and re-equipping farmer s for draught-animal cultivation; 
(c) providing spare parts for farmers previously  engaged in draught-animal cultivation. 
C. 
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES  
(i) Cultivation plots 
6. The industry will receive fresh impetus with the clearing over a three-year period of public 
land for use by some 3,400 farmers, who will be equipped for draught-animal cultivation.  
Homogenous plots will be created at chosen locations  in the areas where producers have been hit hard 
by the crisis.  A total of 10,000 hectares in hom ogenous cultivation plots are to be created throughout 
the cotton-growing areas over that period. 
(ii) Provision of equipment 
7. These cultivation plots will be provided with e quipment for draught-animal farming so as to 
raise the cost effectiveness of cotton production.  Equipment already paid for will be renewed and 
spare parts supplied. 
D. IMPLEMENTATION  
8. The project will be led by the cotton companies in close cooperation with the leadership of 
the umbrella companies. 
E. TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION  
9. The project will be carried out over three years and will cover 10,000 hectares in cultivation 
plots, to be cleared for farmers and provided with draught-animal farming equipment as follows: 
(a) first year:  3,000 hectares; 
(b) second year:  3,000 hectares; 
(c) third year:  4,000 hectares. 
F. COST OF THE PROJECT  
 10. The cost estimates for the project are set out below: 
 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total 
(CFA Francs) 
Clearance 150,000,000 150,000,000 100,000,000 400,000,000 
Equipment 1,098,005,000 1,246,842,000 1,449,327,000 3,794,174,000 
Spare parts 100,000,000 66,620,000 120,100,000 286,720,000 
Total (CFA Francs) 1,348,005,000 1,463,462,000 1,669,427,000 4,480,894,000 
 
11. The total cost of the project over the three-year period will be CFA francs 4,480,894,000 . 
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