Importance of agriculture to the economy
Burkina Faso is essentially an agricultural country, with 83.9% of the labour force working in the agricultural sector. In 1990, agriculture contributed approximately 44% of the GDP. The principal cash crop is cotton, and in 1990 ginned cotton accounted for 56.7% of the value of merchandise exports. Livestock rearing is also important to the economy, contributing 14.1 % of the export revenue in 1990. The principal subsistence crops are millet, sorghum and maize. In non-drought years, Burkina Faso is almost self-sufficient in basic food stuffs.
Sectoral Contributions to GDP and Employment
Source: Europa World Yearbook, 1994