Cotton-omics

Posted: 15 December 2004

Why growing cotton in Mali just doesn't add up for farmers.

In Mali, the price farmers get for their crop is too low for them to make any decent money.

It's a simple calculation: Mali's farmers spend almost as much or more growing the cotton as they earn selling it.

Here's a hypothetical example based on normal crop yields and prices for a farmer growing the typical seven acres of cotton, according to Ibrahim Coulibaly, an agricultural expert from Mali's Association of Professional Producers.

In this case, a farmer will clear about $US200 for a year's work. From this, a farmer would be hard pressed to pay off the debts taken on to purchase the tools, fertilizer, and other inputs needed to operate a farm.

Then, with what little money is left, the farmer would have to repay loans, and cover all household costs, health care, education, and other expenses.

It's a difficult life for farmers with few other options for earning income.

Production and Costs for Growing 7 Acres of Cotton in Mali

Income
Yield (average yield for a 3-hectare (7-acre) farm)	2,400 kilos
Price per kilo	x $.40
Gross income	$960
Costs
24 sacks of Fertilizer	$567
Pesticides	$136
Sprayer	$55
Total Costs (does not include labor costs)	$758
Profit
Gross Income	$960
Total Costs	-$758
Total Profit	$201

Notes

Yield: It is possible to grow more than a metric ton (1,000 kilos) of cotton on one hectare (about 2.45 acres) in Mali, but given the fact that Mali is in the arid Sahel zone and rainfall can be scarce, this is unusual. 800 kilos per hectare is more likely.

Fertilizer: Government programs in Mali only loan money to farmers to buy fertilizer if they grow cotton. Most farmers divert some fertilizer to corn and millet fields because they need to maximize these crops to ensure food security. Reducing the amount of fertilizer used for growing cotton will also reduce the yield. Farmers with animals can supply their own manure and significantly cut their costs.

Cotton Prices: The government of Mali sets the price it will pay for cotton at the beginning of the growing year (April). In 2003 it was CFA200 per kilo (about 40 cents). In 2004 the price is a little higher. The cotton farmers union fought hard to get this increase, but next year the price may drop.

CFA Franc: West African countries in the Monetary Union of West African States use the CFA franc: There are roughly 550 CFA francs to $US1.

Area: One hectare = 2.45 acres

Pesticides: Farmers in Mali, like many other cotton farmer around the world, use pesticides to grow cotton. They are encouraged to do so through government loan programs and pesticide company marketing efforts. Heavy pesticide use has major environmental and health costs. Due to their lack of resources for training in alternatives for Mali's cotton farmers, organic production is well out of their reach.