Agribusiness and Public Sector Collaboration in Agricultural TechnologyDevelopment and Use in Mali: A Study of the Mechanization of Cotton Production

摘要

The mechanization of cotton production in Mali is examined as a case study of thegrowing collaboration between the public and private sectors in the development and delivery of agricultural technology in Africa. After an overview of cotton production in Mali, the study examines the demand for different mechanical technologies (including animal traction equipment, tractors, planting and harvesting equipment, applicators for agrochemicals, and processing equipment such as cotton gins); the impacts of mechanization on yield, labor, blacksmith and farmer income, the environment, and the transportation sector; the organizational framework for research in mechanization; and the economic, business, and regulatory environment for cotton mechanization. Major conclusions are as follows. (1) Successful agribusinesses are often highly vertically integrated.