West Africa Cotton Improvement Program to be launched by USDA
15 Nov '05
3 min read
US Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns and US Trade Representative Rob Portman announced the launch of the West Africa Cotton Improvement Program (WACIP) aimed at the cotton sectors of Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Senegal.
The program is based on an assessment conducted earlier this year by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) experts in consultation with experts from these countries on ways to improve production, transformation, and marketing of cotton in the region.
Secretary Johanns informed that they are pleased to announce the allocation of $7 million - $5 million in fresh funding - to begin the work of this program. Because this program is a partnership between their countries, they have asked USAID to hold a conference in this region soon after the Hong Kong Ministerial to get countries' input on the final touches of the program's design.
Ambassador Portman stated that the WACIP is one more way the United States is specifically addressing the needs of cotton dependent countries in Africa. When combined with other measures like debt relief, eligibility for Millennium Challenge Account assistance, Administration efforts to end the Step 2 cotton program, and a bold proposal on agriculture in the World Trade Organization negotiations, the United States has taken real steps that can help West Africa, including its cotton farmers.
To complement this program, Secretary Johanns and Ambassador Portman also announced that the National Cotton Council (NCC), which will be a key partner in the WACIP, intends to provide assistance in West Africa during the cotton harvest on recommended measures to control insects and the application of biotechnology. WACIP represents only one part of the overall US response that will help these countries address the development obstacles in their cotton sectors.
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