Mali held fertilizer stocks covering 22% of national requirements in late August, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's GIEWS monitoring service said on August 27. Urea prices climbed 19% between February and March, while NPK and DAP fertilizer prices rose 16% and 8%, respectively. Cotton producer CMDT said 12,123 hectares around Fana had shifted to other crops because inputs arrived late or in insufficient quantities, APA reported on September 8.
Analysis: The shortage threatens sharply higher seed cotton production targets: 598,500 metric tons set by the government and more than 650,000 tons by CMDT's board for 2026/27, compared with about 433,700 tons last season. Cotton yields depend heavily on fertilizer applied in July and August, so supply delays put both goals at risk. Cotton ginners, fertilizer importers and banks financing the 164.39bn FCFA (€251mn) government farm campaign face exposure. CMDT's initial buying figures, once purchases begin in the fourth quarter, should provide the first indication of how production compares with targets.
Source: FAO Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS), FAO GIEWS Country Brief: Mali, reference date 27 August 2026, August 2026 and March 2026; APA News, CMDT Fana directorate, Agriculture minister's tour 5–6 Sept 2026 (as reported by APA, 8 Sept 2026), 2026/27 campaign; APA News, 'Mali : le déficit d'engrais pèse sur la campagne agricole', 8 Sept 2026 (government campaign plan), 2026/27 campaign; Agence Ecofin, CMDT 106th board session, 26 Feb 2026 (as reported by Agence Ecofin), 2026/27 campaign; APA News, Government campaign plan (as reported by APA, 8 Sept 2026), 2026/27 campaign