Regional cotton meeting in Lomé to address declining output, sector recovery

Agriculture

Wednesday, 25 March 2026 10:34

Regional cotton meeting in Lomé to address declining output, sector recovery

(Togo First) - Lomé will host the 18th meeting of the Regional Program for Integrated Cotton Production in Africa (PR-PICA) from April 14 to 18, 2026, as the sector continues to face persistent challenges across the continent.

Participants from eight West and Central African countries will attend, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire and Mali.

Researchers, farmers, cotton companies and technical partners will review the 2025-2026 season and identify measures to improve the sector.

Discussions will focus on productivity, competitiveness and resilience to climate constraints. Soil fertility, pest control and improved crop varieties are among the priorities.

The meeting comes amid declining output in Togo. Seed cotton production reached 60,403 metric tons in the 2024-2025 season, down from earlier levels, partly due to adverse weather conditions and rising input costs.

For several years, the sector has struggled to return to historic output levels, despite a brief rebound in 2023-2024.

In response, stakeholders have launched a recovery strategy. A roadmap for 2025-2030 is being developed, targeting production of 150,000 to 200,000 metric tons by 2030. The plan focuses on re-engaging farmers, improving yields and strengthening sector governance.

Sub-Saharan Africa produced about 1.5 million metric tons of cotton fiber in 2023-2024. The meeting’s conclusions are expected to help guide agricultural policies and strengthen coordination among producing countries.

PR-PICA is a West and Central African subregional organization focused on cotton research and development. It brings together cotton companies, researchers and farmers from eight countries to improve productivity and incomes through sustainable management.

R.E.D

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.