COTONTCHAD

CotonTchad is a state-owned company that manages the production and marketing of cotton in Chad. Created in 1971, it plays a crucial role in the country's economy, particularly in rural areas where cotton is a major source of income for farmers. However, CotonTchad has faced a number of challenges, including falling production, management problems and fluctuating world cotton prices. To complete your industrial knowledge, you can visit the cotton ginning plant (the seeds will be valorized into cotton cakes, oil and soaps) and the fiber baling plant. During the colonial period, each family was required to pay a "corvée", a compulsory area of land to be cultivated, the proceeds of which had to be handed over to the village chief and then to the administration. But this compulsory work gave rise to many abuses, which were the cause of bloody revolts. The "corvée" was banned in 1955. 1999 saw a sharp drop in the price of cotton, which in Chad fell from 170 to 150 FCFA per kilo. It was also in 1999 that the Chadian government initiated a policy of disengagement from the sector, discouraging many farmers and thinking of reconverting their fields to market gardening... While 2009-2010 was a low point for the Chadian cotton industry in terms of production, this has since risen again, but production is no longer what it used to be due to a lack of raw material.