Cotton cultivators to talk with government on cotton price hike

An union recently revealed that, the cotton cultivators in western Burkina Faso, the largest fiber producer in Africa, have consented to carry out negotiations with the government to end a row over fixed price and cost of fertilizers.

National Cotton Producers Union of Burkina Faso stated that, the union members had urged them to hold talks with the government for getting subsidy for fertilizers which costs the highest in Western Africa, or to get a rise in minimum price of cotton.

Cotton cultivators in western Burkina Faso warned that, unless the government does not agree to raise the minimum price that it pays to cotton cultivators to 500 CFA francs or $1.12, they would boycott the current year’s cotton season. The state on April 25 raised the price by 35 percent to 245 francs.

Owing to global scarcity of fiber, cotton prices rose by almost 100 percent in New York during last year.

The price jumped by the exchange limit on ICE Futures U.S. yesterday, advancing 6 cents, or 4 percent to $1.5802 a pound.

The unions’ comments on the issue came after a protest of cotton cultivators in Bobo- Dioulasso, second-largest city of Burkina Faso located in the southwest of the country. The farmers were seeking resignation of the state-run cotton company, Sofitex’s management.

The union leader recently discussed the issue with the Agriculture Minister Laurent Sedogo, who assured that, he would place these issues and the industry demands before senior officials, and would find a solution to the same, Traore said.

Burkina Faso in 2008 harvested 226,000 metric tons of cotton, while according to the United Nations agency, the country is the 11th largest cotton producer across the globe.