Mechanical harvesting of seed cotton in West Africa

This document deals with the mechanization of seed cotton harvesting in West Africa. The current level of mechanical harvesting of seed cotton in West Africa is presented in this book. One hectare of seed cotton can probably be harvested by hand, but 20 to 30 hectares or more will not. This situation is made even more difficult by the scarcity of manpower in West Africa in recent years. Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Benin and Togo have already taken their first steps towards mechanical harvesting. Despite attempts at mechanical harvesting in these countries, it remains a panacea in West Africa. Given the importance of cotton for African countries, it will be necessary for them to switch to mechanical harvesting, in order to position West Africa in the Top 10 seed cotton producing countries in the world.