COTTON SECTOR DEVELO

closed

The project, the third in the cotton sector, will seek to increase the efficiency and productivity of Togo's successful cotton crop production. This will be achieved by improving SOTOCO's (Societe Togolaise du Coton) agricultural support services. Special attention will be given to creating and supporting new farmers groups, introducing integrated pest managment, and providing selected technical assistance. The project will also improve the sector's financial arrangements by gradually eliminating subsidies, changing SOTOCO's operating guidelines so that it can operate along commercial lines, and by implementing a flexible producer price policy that provides incentives to farmers and SOTOCO and is responsive to world market prices. Finally, the project will seek to improve the cost effectiveness of SOTOCO's cotton processing and marketing operations.