Agriculture · West Africa's biggest fibre crop

Cotton Price.

Cotton is the Sahel's great cash crop — Benin, Mali and Burkina Faso rank among the world's top exporters of lint, and millions of smallholder incomes ride on the seasonal producer price. The global benchmark sets the tone; the CFA-zone producer prices decide what the farmer earns.

Global benchmark
$86.29
-6.30%US cents per lbFRED commodity benchmarks · 8 Aug 2026
African layer

Country-level prices

What the farmer is actually paid — farmgate, exchange and export prices the global benchmark never shows.

Landing soon

Country-level farmgate and exchange prices for cotton — sourced from Benin, Mali, Burkina Faso regulators — are being wired in. Each will carry its source, cadence and as-of date.

History

Benchmark price history

1 Nov 20251 Jun 2026
Production

Africa's role

Africa's share
West Africa's biggest fibre crop
Top producers
Benin · Mali · Burkina Faso · Côte d'Ivoire · Egypt
Seasonality
The West African cotton belt plants with the rains (May–July) and harvests roughly October–January. National cotton companies set seasonal producer prices in most CFA-zone countries.
Methodology

The global benchmark is sourced from public EIA/FRED series. African country-level prices are seasonal regulator announcements and exchange reports, each stored with its source, cadence and as-of date. Prices are for informational purposes only and are not real-time.

Frequently Asked

Cotton FAQ

Which African countries produce the most cotton?
Benin, Mali, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire lead West Africa's cotton belt — together among the world's largest lint exporters — with Egypt known for its premium long-staple cotton.
How are African cotton prices set?
In most CFA-zone countries, national cotton companies announce a guaranteed seasonal producer price before planting, influenced by the global benchmark and negotiated with farmer unions.
Are these cotton prices real-time?
No — the global benchmark updates monthly, and producer prices are seasonal announcements. Every figure carries its source, cadence and as-of date.