However, the government wants to revitalize this strategic sector, notably through its recent privatization and industrialization efforts to make “white gold” a real source of income and employment for the country. Despite ambitious forecasts, the 2020-2021 season was a big blow for Togo, which produced only 67,000 tons of cotton, a considerable drop of 43% compared to the previous year (116,000 tons). “At least 40,000 cotton farmers out of 153,000 abandoned their crop during the past season,” said Koussouwè Kourouféi, president of the National Federation of Cotton Producers’ Groups (FNGPC). The “white gold”, as it is nicknamed in the West African region, contributes only 1 to 4.3% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), and employs – even indirectly – only 500,000 people out of a population of 8 million.
SOURCE: AFRICA NEWS