DStv Channel 403 Friday, 14 February 2025

Benin seeks home-grown cotton 'revolution'

PORTO NOVO -  Benin has long vied with Mali for the title of Africa's largest cotton producer, exporting mostly raw fibres for processing abroad to countries like Bangladesh or China, the world's largest garment exporters. 

But it now wants to process more of its "white gold" locally, to boost production and exports of 100 percent Beninese clothing.

Benin is expected to produce 669,000 tonnes of cotton during the 2024-2025 season, according to data from the Regional Program for Integrated Cotton Production in Africa.

Mali meanwhile is set to produce 569,000 tonnes in the season.

Under the initiative of Benin's President Patrice Talon -- who made his fortune from cotton in the 1990s and 2000s, earning him the nickname "King of Cotton" -- authorities are racing to consolidate the nation's lead.

Those ambitions came to life in 2020 with the creation of the Glo-Djigbe Industrial Zone (GDIZ).

The industrial park, financed as a partnership between the government and Indian businessman Gagan Gupta, offers spinning, weaving, dyeing and knitting facilities.

Last year, GDIZ exported its first items of clothing to the French brand Kiabi.

"We have all the infrastructure we need to process agricultural products," said Letondji Beheton, managing director of the company running GDIZ, adding that it worked with around 21,000 farmers throughout the country.

"Today at GDIZ, we transform 40,000 tonnes of cotton a year and produce between seven and 10 million garments a year," he said.

With three new garment manufacturing units in the pipeline, production in the industrial zone is expected to grow further by year-end.

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