Mali aims to process at least 10% of its cotton fibre locally to create more value and expand its domestic textile industry.
The target was announced by Mali’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Issa Konfourou, at a World Cotton Day meeting in New York on Wednesday, co-organised with India’s UN mission.
However, the government has yet to set a timeline or identify funding for the initiative.
Mali is part of the C-4 group of African cotton producers, alongside Benin, Burkina Faso and Chad. Côte d’Ivoire later joined their cooperation under the C-4+ framework.
According to the World Trade Organization, around 98% of cotton produced in the region is exported as raw fibre. An international partnership aims to mobilise $5 billion over ten years to develop textile industries and create approximately 500,000 jobs across C-4+ countries.
Global cotton production is forecast to reach 25.9 million tonnes in the 2026-2027 season, compared with projected consumption of 25.2 million tonnes.
