Agriculture, livestock and cotton in Mali: what investors need to know in 2026
What Mali's 2026 Council of Ministers statements say about agriculture: cotton (656,000 tonnes a year, 98% exported raw), a 40,000-tonne textile plant, local rice, the 2026-2027 farming season, the livestock security strategy.
Farming and livestock remain the foundation of Mali's economy, and in 2026 the government made them a pillar of its industrial policy: process at home what now leaves the country raw. This page brings together what the official Council of Ministers statements say about cotton, rice, livestock and the farming season, for anyone considering an agribusiness investment from Bamako.
Key points (statements checked on 18 October 2026)
- Mali produces 656,000 tonnes of cotton a year and presents itself as West Africa's leading producer; 98% of the crop is exported raw.
- A cotton-fibre processing plant of 40,000 tonnes a year is planned, run by the new Société des Textiles du Mali.
- In April 2026 the State bought 26,030 tonnes of unsold local rice, which is less competitive than imported rice.
- A national livestock security strategy aims to settle herds on managed land by 2034.
Cotton: high output, little processing
The statement of 29 July 2026 is blunt: with 656,000 tonnes a year, Mali is West Africa's leading cotton producer, yet 98% of the crop leaves raw. The government sees in this "a weak capacity to create added value nationally and a dependence of our economy on raw material exports".
Its response is a project for a cotton-fibre processing plant with a capacity of 40,000 tonnes a year, entrusted to the Société des Textiles du Mali (STM-SA), whose founding texts were adopted that same day (ordinance no. 2026-019/PT-RM of 7 August 2026). Its scope runs from spinning and weaving to dyeing, garment-making and sales. Capital, statutes and missions: see our page on the new public companies and agencies of 2026.
The sector remains fragile. The 2026 supplementary budget law, presented to the Council on 3 July, includes an exceptional subsidy to the Compagnie malienne pour le développement des textiles (CMDT), the company that oversees cotton production.
For an investor, the openings are downstream: suppliers and subcontractors for the future plant, garment-making, logistics, packaging. On traditional textiles, see our page on bogolan.
Rice: a local product dearer than imports
The Council of 23 April 2026 acknowledged a structural problem: the rice sector struggles to sell its crop because high production costs make local rice less competitive than imported rice. The government decided to buy the unsold stock of 26,030 tonnes held by the rice inter-professional body, to resell it to the public at an affordable price, through a subsidy to the Office des Produits agricoles du Mali (OPAM).
The operation aims to support the sector, protect purchasing power and stabilise the market during the lean season. It also shows where the opportunity lies for an investor: cutting the costs of producing, hulling and storing local rice.
The large irrigated schemes are run by public offices, including the Office du Niger and, near Bamako, the Office du périmètre irrigué de Baguinéda. In July 2026 the government also assigned about 86 hectares at Samanko (rural commune of Mandé, Kati district) to the Ministry of Agriculture to preserve the land's farming use.
Sugar: a third of needs covered
The two sugar mills SUKALA and N-SUKALA, in the Ségou region, launched their 2025-2026 campaign on 5 February 2026. They plan to produce nearly 120,000 tonnes, or about 34% of the country's annual sugar needs (statement of 13 February 2026). The rest is imported.
The 2026-2027 farming season
The Minister of Agriculture launched the 2026-2027 Farming Season Plan during visits to Ségou, Bougouni and Sikasso from 24 June to 6 July 2026 (statement of 17 July). The programme covered meetings with sector federations, a review of the 2025-2026 season, projections for 2026-2027 and mobilising extension staff and farmers.
Livestock: securing the herd
In 2025 the government approved the National Strategy for the Stabilisation and Security of Malian Livestock and its 2025-2029 action plan (decree no. 2025-0435/PT-RM of 3 July 2025). It aims to stabilise and secure herds on managed land, with optimal production, by 2034. The Council of 15 April 2026 set its institutional framework: a national steering committee, a technical coordination committee and regional and local bodies.
Each year the Ministry of Livestock also organises promotional sales that connect herders directly with city consumers, without middlemen: cattle for Ramadan (18th edition from 11 to 20 March 2026) and sheep for Tabaski (18th edition from 20 to 27 May 2026).
The framework for investing
Agribusiness projects fall under the National Strategy for Emergence and Sustainable Development 2024-2033, regularly cited in the statements. To build a project:
- the benefits of the Investment Code and API-Mali;
- business taxation;
- financing through licensed banks and mobile money;
- the price of fuel and electricity, decisive for irrigation and processing.
The Mali Kura Forum, on 11 and 12 December 2026 in Bamako, is meant to present a portfolio of investment opportunities aligned with national priorities.
Frequently asked questions
How much cotton does Mali produce?
656,000 tonnes a year according to the government, making it West Africa's leading producer; 98% is exported raw.
Why is Malian rice less competitive than imported rice?
The government attributes it to high production costs. In April 2026 it bought 26,030 tonnes of unsold local rice to resell at an affordable price.
What is the Société des Textiles du Mali?
A State company created in 2026 to process cotton fibre in Mali, with a planned plant of 40,000 tonnes a year.
Official sources (checked on 18 October 2026)
Council of Ministers statements published by the General Secretariat of the Government (French): 13 February 2026, 4 March 2026, 15 April 2026, 23 April 2026, 13 May 2026, 3 July 2026, 10 July 2026, 17 July 2026 and 29 July 2026.