How We Present the News
WORLD NEWS
Positive Trends
Success Stories
Flops
Agriculture
Business
Culture
Education
Government
Health
Science
World Peace
News by
Country
Maharishi in the World Today
Excellence in Action
Consciousness Based Education
Ideal Society
Index
Invincible World
Action for
Achievement
Announcements
WATCH LIVE
Maharishi® Channel
Maharishi TV
Maharishi Darshan Hindi Press Conferences
Maharishi's Press Conferences and Great Global Events
ULTIMATE GIFTS
Maharishi's
Programmes
Maharishi's
Courses
Maharishi's
Publications
Scintillating
Intelligence
Worldwide Links
Transcendental
Meditation
RESEARCH
Album of Events
Celebration
Calendars
Musicmall ♬
Search
|
Burkina Faso: French boost to cotton sector
IRIN News Translate This Article
10 October 2006
OUAGADOUGOU, 10 Oct 2006 (IRIN) - France has stepped in to help boost Burkina Faso's beleaguered cotton sector in the face of low world prices for the commodity and growing malaise to produce it.
The French Development Agency has granted the National Union of Burkinabe Cotton Producers 7.2 billion CFA (US $13.4 million) to help build managerial capacity, train farmers and expand cotton production across the eastern and central areas of the country.
The text of the grant agreement said it is meant to help diversify the agriculture sector to boost cereal production, improve transportation infrastructure and warehouses, as well as support sensitisation campaigns on HIV/AIDS. It was signed in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, on Friday.
Cotton is Burkina Faso's main export, according to the World Bank. Three million of the nation's 12 million people depend on cotton production for income while another three million live on collateral activities around the commodity. This year, cotton reached a landmark production of 713,000 tonnes in Burkina Faso, compared with 600,000 tonnes last year and 100,000 tonnes in 1996, according to the government.
Despite increased production, thousands of Burkinabe and other West African farmers have given up cotton farming because of falling world prices. This is especially true in Benin and Mali.
Farmers in Burkina Faso earned 165 CFA (US $0.32) per kg of cotton this year compared with 210 CFA (US $0.40) per kg two years ago.
Farmers blame developed countries for their losses. The United States is the world's largest exporter of cotton. Last year, the 25,000 US cotton producers received more than US $4.5 billion in subsidies, according to Oxfam. Burkinabe farmers complain that the subsidies lead to overproduction, flooding the international market with cotton and driving down prices.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) in September launched a probe into whether the United States has dismantled the cotton subsidies programme. The Geneva-based WTO in 2004 had ruled that part of the programme broke global trade rules and it demanded extensive changes.
The United States says it has complied with the WTO obligations.
The material contained on www.IRINnews.org comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian news and information service, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies.
Copyright © IRIN 2006 Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN)
Translation software is not perfect; however if you would like to try it, you can translate this page using:
Send Good News to Global Good News.
Your comments.
|
|