(Ecofin Agency) - Senegal is one of the West African countries where cotton production plays a significant role in the economy. As the country works to revive its textile industry, it is implementing measures to better organize the marketing of raw materials within the sector.

Senegal plans to ban the export of raw textile materials, according to Serigne Guèye Diop, the Minister of Industry and Trade. The announcement was made on December 9 during a meeting organized by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with private sector entrepreneurs supported under the "Invest For Jobs" program. This initiative, active in eight African countries, promotes investments and job creation across various industries.

Minister Diop explained that the ban aims to protect local textile and clothing businesses while fostering the growth of Senegal’s domestic textile industry. However, he noted that achieving this goal would require effective policy measures.

Cotton, Senegal’s main raw textile material, is the country’s third-largest agricultural export after fish products and groundnuts. According to data from the National Agency for Statistics and Demography (ANSD), cotton exports brought in CFA12.5 billion ($20.1 million) in 2022.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projects that Senegal will export nearly all its cotton production to international markets during the 2024/2025 season. The USDA also reported that Domitexka, a local textile company based in Kaolack, could begin purchasing cotton as part of its plans to restart textile processing operations in 2025.

Senegal’s seed cotton harvest is expected to increase by 7.5%, reaching nearly 14,000 tons in the 2024/2025 season, according to estimates from the Regional Integrated Cotton Production Program in Africa (PR-PICA).