Agriculture is the economic engine of the Ivory Coast, accounting for up to 70% of the total value of the country’s exports. Undoubtedly, suppliers of products and services for agriculture, livestock, poultry, fisheries, forestry and agro-industry have a clear business opportunity in the country, as we have already shared in the following article “ Agricultural Sector in Ivory Coast: Business Keys and Opportunities ”. If you want to find out more, please read on.

The 2nd National Agricultural Investment Plan 2018-2025 (NAIP 2) provides for an allocation of €18,147 million. It puts particular emphasis on the development of local processing of agricultural products prior to their export, so as to derive greater added value for the country. In addition to usual agricultural mechanisation and modernisation projects, there are also plans to prevent and adapt to climate change and protect biodiversity, among many others.

Ivory Coast’s main agricultural products 

1 – The world’s largest producer of cocoa

39.8% of the world’s cocoa production comes from the Ivory Coast. While 70% is currently exported as beans and 30% as intermediate products, the government’s objective is to achieve the goal of 50% local processing. Among other projects, the extension of the Ivorian Cocoa Mills (Micao in French) in Yopougon will create the world’s largest cocoa bean grinding plant by 2021. 

The cocoa sector, as well as the agricultural sector in general, is made up of small-scale producers organised in cooperatives that allow them to access training in sustainable farming techniques, and to acquire new tools and equipment shared among members. 

2 – The sixth largest coffee producer in the world

In the 1980s, Ivory Coast was Africa’s largest coffee producer and it is currently the third one. The government has adopted a ten-year programme to revive production with high-yielding varieties, which, coinciding with the fall in cocoa prices, has led to a significant increase in coffee production over the last five years.

3 – A leading palm oil exporter

Ivory Coast is self-sufficient in palm oil and exports its surplus production to other countries. The Ivorian government’s objective is to triple production by 2025. Palm oil producers are organised in cooperatives, refiners carry out the primary processing, and the agro-industry is quite well developed and produces refined cooking oil up to margarines and soaps, to name a few examples.

4 – The world’s largest cashew producer

90% of Ivorian production is exported in its raw state, although the government’s objective is to process locally 100% of the production by 2020. To achieve this and to attract investments, SIETTA, a trade fair dedicated to the sector, and several projects are being developed. For example, the construction of 108 cashew nut warehouses which will allow farmers to avoid selling their production at low prices. This will allow them to generate short-term cash flow and thus be able to better finance the development of their business.

5 – The largest rubber producer in Africa

Ivory Coast’s rubber production represents 10% of world production and has been increasing steadily over the past 15 years.

6- Ivory Coast consumes 1.9 million tonnes of rice

 The Ivorian government’s objective is to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production. To this end, the country has started to set up numerous local processing centres that will ensure that farmers can absorb their production.

Since 70% of the rice grown in the country depends on seasonal rains. Nevertheless, dams and pipelines are needed to avoid the consequences of climate change.  For this, imports of materials and equipment are absolutely necessary.

Storage, mechanisation and the use of improved seeds and fertilisers are other needs facing the agricultural sector in Ivory Coast.

7 – Africa’s largest banana exporter

The banana dessert support programme in Ivory Coast implemented by the European Commission is part of the Ivorian government’s strategic plan for the sector. Its objective is to promote banana plantations in order to meet the demand of the European continent, of which Ivory Coast is the main supplier, and to face competition from Latin American countries. 

What and how to export to Ivory Coast?

If you wish to export products and services to Ivory Coast, such as:

• Agricultural machinery and equipment
• Irrigation systems
• Greenhouses 
• Fertilisers and other agricultural inputs
• Equipment for fruit packaging
• Equipment for poultry, livestock breeding, fish farming, forestry
• Agro-industrial equipment
• New technologies and Smart Agro solutions

If you are interested in investing in the development of the sector, we invite you to participate to the next Agricultural Trade Mission that How2Go is organising in Abidjan, from November 27th to 29th. The trip is organised in collaboration with SARA (International Exhibition of Agriculture and Animal Resources), the leading trade fair in West Africa.

For more information or to register, please click here: MCD SARA 2019.

To make your exports easier, How2Go is organising the very first participation of Ivory Coast to Fruit Attraction, which will take place in Madrid, on October 22nd to 24th at the IFEMA Exhibition Centre. 

The Ivorian producers and institutions exhibiting at Fruit Attraction are also importers and prescribers of the above-mentioned products and services! Why not yours?

Take advantage of this unique opportunity! 

How2Go gives you the opportunity to initiate contacts with Ivorian companies in the sector, interested in European products and services.

After the first exchanges at Fruit Attraction, the second meeting could take place one month later in Ivory Coast, where you will have the opportunity to get to know the market in depth thanks to the SARA trade exhibition, to develop the contacts you have already initiated and to develop new ones thanks to a meeting schedule that is perfectly adapted to your needs.

For more information, please contact us. If you are committed to exporting to Ivory Coast, please send an email: contacto@h2gconsulting.com!

Ivory Coast, it’s… now!