Solenzo: Students from the Banwa Provincial High School, accompanied by their teachers, visited the SOFITEX factory in Solenzo on Thursday, February 26, 2026. Led by Principal Wendwaoga Kabr©, the delegation of approximately one hundred students from all grade levels was welcomed by factory staff in the meeting room. The objective of the visit was to allow the students to better understand the process of transforming cotton from seed to finished product.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the visit began at the weighbridge where trucks loaded with cotton are weighed before being admitted into the ginning plant. At this point, the producer receives a document indicating the tonnage delivered. The students then followed the different stages of cotton processing. Using industrial vacuum cleaners, the cotton is conveyed to sorting machines where it is separated from seeds, waste, and foreign matter. The selected fibers are then steamed to improve their quality before being pressed into bales for sale.

Divided into groups of 25, the students were able to talk with factory managers and ask questions to better understand how SOFITEX operates and its contribution to the national economy. According to Mathieu Ou©draogo, the regional director of SOFITEX in Solenzo, the factory previously produced 50,000 tons of cotton per year. However, due to the security situation, production for the 2025-2026 season is estimated at 18,000 tons. He specified that the number of Cotton Producer Groups (GPCs) had decreased from 1,000 to 400.

The regional director also explained the cotton quality criteria used for purchasing. "Good quality cotton is paid first grade, while diseased or untreated cotton is paid second grade. This is a way to evaluate the producers," he stated. This visit was beneficial for the high school students of Solenzo.