Cotton production and communication in Chad from 1928 to 2017

The cotton industry made its entry into Chad during the colonial period, and is a source of considerable economic and social development. Following the introduction of cotton cultivation, numerous ginning factories were set up in the southern part of the country, managed by the COTONFRAN company in accordance with the commercial convention established by cotton companies in Africa. In this way, cotton growing has been imposed by the administration on the local population, with the support of traditional chiefs for its expansion. The local people had difficulty adapting to the systems and methods of cultivation, forcing the colonial administration to follow them during the agricultural and commercial campaigns. Over the years, this crop has changed the rural world to a large extent through animal traction, motorization and the infrastructures enabling its expansion. In the structural context, the administration set up training and technical research centers to support cotton growers in the Sudanian zone.