France pledges investment to boost sustainable cotton in Ivory Coast
ANGE ABOA FRANCE’S development agency will invest 68.5 million euros ($83.04 million) over the next five years to boost cotton production in Ivory Coast, economy minister Bruno Le Maire said during a visit to the West African country on Thursday. Le Maire said the programme will target 120,000 cotton farmers in the northern region of the country and boost revenue in the cotton sector, benefiting the Ivorian economy. The country produced 490,000 tonnes of cotton in the 2019/20 season and 2020/21 output is forecast at 500,000 tonnes by the agriculture ministry. France's aid pledge comes as the European Union (EU),…