Mali ended its 2014-2015 season with record production of 233,000 tonnes of cotton fibre versus 185,000 tonnes the previous year, the state-owned Malian Company for the Development of Textile (CMDT) said. Mali produced roughly 550,000 tonnes of raw cotton fibre in the 2014-2015 season, well above the 400,000 tonnes produced the previous year.
"This is the best ever season in industrial terms: 233,000 tonnes of exportable cotton fibre from 549,000 tonnes of raw cotton," said Moussa Yattara, a technical advisor to the CMDT.
The season includes a growing phase from around May to October, and a harvesting and sales period from roughly November to end-March.
Mali has more than 3.5 million cotton farmers, and 17 processing factories.