(Ecofin Agency) - Compagnie Malienne pour le Développement des Textiles, CDMT (Mali’s Textile Development Company) believes the country will have this season, 2016-2017, a record cotton production.

“If rains are consistent, we are sure to beat our 650,000 metric tons forecast,” said Ousmane Traoré, Technical advisor in charge of production at CDMT.

Officials’ base their confidence on the fact that areas sown exceed what authorities initially forecast. Truly, against a projection of 617,000 hectares, 700,000 hectares were finally sown. So, Mali, by achieving its forecast (650,000 tons), would see its cotton output rise by 27% compared to the previous season’s 513,000 tons output.

So far, the West African nation’s best season was the 2003-2004 during with an output of 620,000 tons
 

Aaron Akinocho