BAMAKO, April 13 (Reuters) - Higher prices and government fertilizer subsidies could help Mali meet ambitious cotton production targets next season after it missed output goals this year, the Malian Company for the Development of Textiles (CMDT) said on Wednesday.

West Africa's biggest cotton producer aims to increase cotton output to 750,000-800,000 tonnes this season after it dropped last season to 513,553 tonnes because late rain damaged the crop, according to CMDT.

"We think that with the support of the government on cotton growing added to input subsidies and this attractive price, we're doing all we can to reach a better result which meets our targets," the head of CMDT, Modibo Kone, told national radio.

The price paid to producers has increased to 250 CFA francs (43 cents) per kg for the best quality cotton that accounts for most of the harvest, up from 237.5 CFA, head of the union of Cotton Producers' Cooperatives, Bakary Togola, said on radio.

Mali's cotton season starts in April with a production phase that begins in May/June and a commercialisation phase that starts in October/November.

($1 = 579.7200 CFA francs) (Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; writing by Marine Pennetier; editing by Edward McAllister and David Clarke)