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| "Monographie du Cercle de Mopti
(1920)"
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| © 1999 by Jim Jones, Ph.D. |
| Go to Table of Contents | Read Disclaimer |
(p1) At first, Mopti was a subdivision of Bandiagara, but due to the growth of its commerce and the arrival of commercial houses, it became autonomous. The Arrˆte de GGAOF (Order of the Governor General) of June 22, 1910 made it into a cercle with 10 cantons.
In November 1917, the Cercle de Mopti had a population of 45,148. This was not enough to satisfy local labor needs (for commerce and construction), so the Arrˆte du GovHSN of December 11, 1917 attached all the cantons of the Cercle de Djenn‚ and two cantons from Bandiagara to the Cercle of Mopti, increasing the population of the Cercle de Mopti to 162,000 in 64 cantons and 33000 square kilometers.
(p2) In 1920, there were 978 villages and 23 markets (including 8 major markets) in the Cercle de Mopti. Merchants paid the French a tax for the right to a place in the market. Butchers paid the French tax of 1 franc/cow. The author of this monograph thought that was too low, because it had been set at a time when cows cost 25-30f each. By 1920, they cost 80-100f each.
(p3) Rice produced near Mopti was unable to compete with Indochinese rice because of the high cost of transport. Here is a breakdown on the cost of shipping a ton of rice from Mopti to St. Louis at the mouth of the Senegal River:
| Cost item | Price in francs |
|---|---|
| cost of a ton of rice at Mopti | 300 |
| packaging | 40 |
| handling at Mopti | 5 |
| shipping from Mopti to Koulikoro | 50 |
| transit at Koulikoro | 12 |
| handling at Koulikoro | 1.50 |
| railroad from Koulikoro to Kayes | 50 |
| transit at Kayes | 15 |
| shipping from Kayes to St. Louis | 120 |
| Total | 593.50 |
This works out to a minimum price of .593 francs per kilo of Mopti rice offered for sale in St. Louis. By way of comparison, Indochinese rice sold for between between .50 and .60 francs perkilogram at Rufisque, on the coast just east of Dakar. In addition, Mopti rice must be warehoused for six to seven months after the November harvest, until the next rainy season raised river levels high enough to permit ships to operate on the Senegal River.
This is a breakdown for the cost of a ton of Mopti wool shipped to Bordeaux, where it competes with wool selling for 1500 francs/ton.
| Cost item | Price in francs |
|---|---|
| ton of wool at Mopti | 500 |
| packaging and compression | 190 |
| assurance et dechet | 120 |
| shipping from Mopti to Koulikoro | 60.50 |
| transit at Koulikoro | 12 |
| camionage in Koulikoro | 1.10? (paper torn) |
| Railway Koulikoro-Bamako | 10 |
| camionage in Bamako | 1.50 |
| shipping Bamako-Kouroussa | 220 |
| transit Kouroussa | 12 |
| Decauville (Kouroussa) | 0.50 |
| Railway Kouroussa-Conakry | 48 |
| Transit Conakry | 15 |
| Decauville Conarkry | 2.50 |
| Warehouse 3 months x 3 francs/month… | 9 |
| Customs export duty | 60 |
| 6% interest for 3 months | 18.75 |
| Shipping Conakry-Bordeaux 200f/m3 | 800 |
| Unloading in Bordeaux | 160 |
| Miscellaneous expenses | 30 |
| Bordeaux taxes | 52.50 |
| Total | 2332.85 |
(p4) Farm Exports from Mopti in 1920:
| Product | hectares cultivated | tons total production | tons local consumption | tons export | value of exports in francs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rice | 12,000 | 25,000 | 19,000 | 6,000 | 5,400 | |
| "gros" millet | 500 | 500 | 400 | 100 | 100,000 | |
| "petit" millet | 2,500 | 2,500 | 2,000 | 500 | 500,000 | |
| peanuts | 500 | 250 | 250 | 0 | n | |
| corn | 250 | 750 | 750 | 0 | n | |
| manioc | 150 | 1500 | 1,500 | 0 | n | |
| potatoes | 50 | 300 | 300 | 0 | n | |
| ricin (castor oil plant) | 50 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1,250 | |
| Total | 16,000 | 30,805 | 24,200 | 6,605 | 6,001,250 |
Other Exports from Mopti in 1920 (all figures in tons except where noted):
| Product | total 1920 production | local consumption | exported | value of exports in francs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| wool | 1,000 | 200 | 800 | 2,400,000 |
| cattle skins | 250 | 50 | 250 | 1,000,000 |
| goat skins | 300 | 50 | 250 | 2,000,000 |
| dried fish | 500 | 100 | 400 | 400,000 |
| cotton | n/a | n/a | n/a | 150,000 |
| Total | 1,850 | 400 | 1,450 | 5,950,000 |
In addition, 2000 cows valued at 200000 francs were exported.