Le lancement officiel de la campagne agricole 2026-2027 à Ségou constitue un moment important de la vie économique nationale
As Mali launches its latest agricultural campaign, the government has set ambitious targets: nearly 12 million tonnes of cereals, over 164 billion FCFA mobilized by the state, continued subsidies for agricultural inputs, and high goals for rice production at the Office du Niger and cotton at the CMDT. These figures, reported by former minister and economist Harouna Niang in a recent editorial, reflect a clear intent to strengthen food sovereignty and improve producer incomes.
Yet Niang argues that the annual launch of the campaign should evolve beyond a simple administrative ceremony. In his view, the current model—setting production targets, announcing subsidies, distributing inputs, and calling for mobilization—has delivered real progress but is no longer sufficient. The challenges facing Mali today, including climate change, demographic pressure, budget constraints, international competition, and the need for job creation and industrialization, demand a fundamentally different approach.
A Call for Transparency and Performance Evaluation
Niang proposes that the annual campaign launch become a national forum for the agricultural and rural economy. At this event, the government would not only present new objectives but also publish a complete review of the previous campaign: production levels, regional yields, changes in producer incomes, investments made, jobs created, sector performance, progress in agro-processing, agricultural exports, and difficulties encountered. Such a practice, he writes, would strengthen transparency, foster a culture of evaluation, and allow all stakeholders to measure progress.
This idea touches on a broader concern Niang raises about the quality of public spending. While the state’s commitment of over 164 billion FCFA is considerable, he argues that the real measure of success should not be the amount spent but the durable wealth created. He suggests that each franc invested should be assessed against criteria such as yield increases, income improvements, reduced food imports, job creation, industrial processing development, soil fertility improvement, and economic growth. To institutionalize this, Niang recommends publishing an annual Budget agricole de performance (Performance Agricultural Budget) accompanied by a national index of agricultural spending quality. This, he believes, would place Mali among Africa’s pioneers in agricultural policy governance.
Rethinking Input Subsidies
Niang acknowledges that fertilizer subsidies have helped sustain production and protect farmers from rising costs. However, he questions their long-term sustainability. A subsidy, he notes, primarily affects a single campaign and must be renewed each year, placing growing pressure on public finances. In contrast, investments in hydro-agricultural infrastructure, solar irrigation, adapted mechanization, storage facilities, processing units, agronomic research, improved seeds, and soil restoration continue to yield benefits for decades.
His proposed reform does not call for eliminating subsidies but for gradually reorienting public resources toward productive investments that create durable assets. This shift, he argues, should protect smallholders through targeted measures while helping producers move toward more productive, resilient, and competitive farming.
From Production Campaign to Economic Transformation
Niang’s central thesis is that agricultural success can no longer be measured solely by volumes produced. It must be evaluated by the value added within the national territory. He envisions the campaign launch as the starting point for an annual program of agricultural transformation that integrates production, industrial processing, storage, logistics, financing, marketing, and export. Each strategic sector—rice, maize, millet, sorghum, cotton, livestock, milk, meat, mango, potato, onion, sesame, and fish farming—would have precise targets not only for output but also for investments, processing units, jobs created, and expected export revenues.
The Office du Niger: A Century of Underutilization
One of the most striking facts Niang highlights is that after more than a century of existence, only 7% of the Office du Niger’s developable potential is currently exploited. He calls for making its expansion a national priority through a large-scale public-private partnership program involving the state, local governments, farmer organizations, private investors, the diaspora, banks, insurance companies, the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, and regional financial markets. Such an ambition, he argues, could permanently transform the country’s agricultural landscape.
Creating a National Forum for Agricultural Transformation
Niang also suggests that the annual launch could become a major forum bringing together producers, researchers, universities, banks, insurance companies, investors, technical and financial partners, professional organizations, and local governments. National prizes could reward the best agricultural innovations, cooperatives, transformation projects, young agri-entrepreneurs, and the most engaged local authorities. This dynamic, he believes, would create healthy competition and encourage innovation.
In his closing remarks, Niang emphasizes that Mali’s agricultural future depends not only on expanding cultivated areas or increasing input distribution. It depends on improving the quality of public policies, investing in durable infrastructure, developing value chains, accelerating industrial transformation, promoting innovation, and attracting more private investment. He argues that the launch of the agricultural campaign should no longer be just the start of a production season. It should become, each year, the launch of a new stage in Mali’s economic transformation.
Niang points to Mali’s exceptional assets: abundant land, significant water resources, favorable sunlight, a dynamic youth population, and experienced producers. By improving both the quality and level of public spending, prioritizing productive investments, and embedding each campaign in a long-term vision, he believes Mali can not only achieve food sovereignty but also become a major agro-industrial power in West Africa.
Bamako, July 2026
By Harouna Niang
Economist – Former Minister
