Chad stands as central Africa’s second-largest cotton producer, trailing only Cameroon. Yet recent years have seen erratic production figures that have kept the sector from achieving stability. In response, N’Djamena has initiated a sweeping agricultural transformation program.

On May 13, Chad’s Ministry of Production and Agricultural Industrialization launched the Projet de Développement agricole et territorial du bassin cotonnier du Tchad (DEBACO), a five-year initiative valued at €19.35 million (22.5 million USD). The program is fully financed by the French Development Agency (AFD) and represents a strategic shift in French cooperation toward Chad’s cotton value chain.

While the project’s core focus remains cotton, it adopts a holistic approach to rural development. Support extends to key food security crops such as sorghum, maize, cowpea, and groundnut. The initiative also emphasizes sustainable land-use planning, demarcation and protection of transhumance corridors, conflict prevention, and the establishment of local dialogue frameworks between farmers, herders, and authorities.

The provinces of Mayo-Kebbi Ouest and Moyen-Chari will be the primary beneficiaries—together accounting for nearly a quarter of Chad’s annual cotton output, according to USDA data.

French backing comes at a critical time. Chad’s cotton production has fluctuated dramatically in recent seasons. Official figures from the interprofessional sector, compiled by the Regional Program for Integrated Cotton Production in Africa (PR-PICA), reveal sharp inconsistencies. Cotton seed production surged by 9% in 2023–2024, reaching 111,262 tons, only to plummet by nearly half the following year to 57,774 tons. For the 2025–2026 season, PR-PICA projects a partial recovery to around 75,000 tons—a 29.8% rebound.

Whether DEBACO can reverse this volatile trend and set the sector on a sustainable upward path remains to be seen. Early signs suggest cautious optimism, but long-term results will depend on coordinated implementation across government, farmers, and development partners.