Côte d'Ivoire kept its 2026-2027 farmgate price for first-grade seed cotton at 310 FCFA/kg (€0.47/kg), Agriculture Minister Bruno Nabagné Koné said on November 3, state daily Fraternité Matin reported. Malian growers, paid a subsidized 300 FCFA/kg (€0.46/kg) this season, therefore receive 10 FCFA/kg less than their southern neighbors. Mali also left its price unchanged, news site Journal du Mali reported in July.
Analysis: The gap is small, at 3.3%, but it applies to a crop Mali wants to increase 38% this season, to 598,500 metric tons from a provisional 433,700 tons. On last season's volume, the 10 FCFA difference is worth about 4.3bn FCFA (€6.6mn) to growers, by our calculation. Both governments kept last season's prices, so the gap is not new, and no source says it moves cotton across the border. Cotton company CMDT had published no harvest estimate as of November 9. Its first collection figures should show whether the target, which assumed 630,000 hectares sown, is within reach.
Source: Fraternité Matin, Fraternité Matin, 'Campagne coton 2026-2027 : les prix fixés à 310 FCfa et 285 FCfa le kilo', November 3, 2026, 2026-2027 season; 223infos, 223infos, '16e Conseil supérieur de l'agriculture : le prix du kilogramme de coton graine maintenu à 300 FCFA', June 22, 2026, 2026-2027 season; Journal du Mali, Journal du Mali, 'Campagne cotonnière : 598 500 tonnes toujours en ligne de mire', July 23, 2026, 2025-2026 season