Industrialization remains a major challenge for the ongoing structural transformation of the economy. To meet this challenge, several policies, reforms, strategies, and structural projects have been implemented to ensure the full development of the industrial sector in Côte d'Ivoire, particularly the processing of its agricultural raw materials.

In fact, the agri-food sector is a key component of the manufacturing industries and constitutes the backbone of the structural transformation of the economy. Indeed, the country has significant potential for diversifying its industrial fabric through the processing of its main agricultural raw materials (cocoa, coffee, cashew, sugar, palm oil, mango, pineapple...) which would also stimulate the development of other manufacturing industries (cosmetics, tires, chemicals, textiles, pharmaceuticals, biofuels...).

Based on the potential of the agricultural sector in Côte d'Ivoire, the Ivorian government has identified agri-food as one of the seven (07) industrial clusters to be developed.

The goal is to achieve an integrated development of the agri-food chain to enhance its contribution to growth, the creation of decent jobs, as well as to reduce the import bill for food products, and to diversify and increase exports. This will involve:

• Upstream, developing the industries for manufacturing inputs (fertilizers and small agricultural production tools);

• Downstream, developing the industries for processing agricultural products for domestic consumption and for export, and distribution/marketing services for the products;

• Cross-support, developing research services, financing instruments for production and investment, transport, and distribution of products.

Operationally, the realization of these ambitions will go through (i) increasing production and industrial competitiveness, (ii) developing industrial zones, and (iii) improving quality and strengthening the fight against counterfeiting.

Thus, measures and incentive actions have been taken by the government to increase local agri-food production and stimulate investments. These include, among others:

• The adoption of Ordinance No. 2020-09 of January 8, 2020, reducing the single exit duty rate applicable to products from cocoa processing companies, which allowed the signing of seven (7) agreements with cocoa grinders accompanied by commitments;

• The adoption of Ordinance No. 2019-587 of July 3, 2019, instituting tax incentive measures in the cashew processing sector, which allowed the signing of 35 agreements with cashew processors accompanied by commitments;

• The adoption of Ordinance No. 2019-826 of October 9, 2019, instituting specific tax incentive measures for investments made in the rubber processing sector, which allowed the signing of 28 agreements with processors accompanied by commitments;

• The adoption and implementation of Ordinance No. 2022-536 of July 16, 2022, instituting specific tax incentive measures for investments made in the agricultural production and processing sectors (food crops and legumes).

• Agri-food in numbers

The agri-food sector is the leading branch of the secondary sector in terms of value added, with a share of 28.8% in 2015. In 2023, it still holds the top position with a share of 24.8%. Its value added increased from 1,572.1 billion in 2015 to 2,909.9 billion in 2023, with an average growth of 12.2% per year.

Source : MEPD/ANStat, MEPD/DGE, MCI

Value added in the secondary sector

Sources :MEPD/ANStat, DGE

The agri-food sector is dominated by four (04) segments, namely cocoa and coffee products (32%); oilseeds (23%); dairy products and products based on fruits and vegetables (21%); as well as beverages (10%), representing more than 85% of the sector's turnover in 2017. The remainder consists of cereal products (7%), processed meat and fish products (5%), and tobacco (2%).

The priority sectors of the government in terms of agri-food processing are cocoa, coffee, cashew, palm oil, fruits and vegetables (mango, pineapple, dessert banana, etc.) and sugar.

• Cocoa Processing

The government's objective is to locally process at least 50% of cocoa bean production by 2030 and to develop the production of chocolate and other finished cocoa products.

In 2023, the sector has 11 active companies with 13 industrial units, not including projects nearing completion. Thus, from 2017 to 2023, the overall grinding capacity of installed units increased from 730,000 tons to 972,040 tons, representing a growth of 33.2%. This capacity is expected to reach 1,112,040 tons in 2024, with the completion of construction works for the TRANSCAO and JB COCOA factories in Abidjan, the expansion works of TRANSCAO SEWEKE, Atlantique COCOA CORPORATION, and the rehabilitation of the former SUCSO factory by SITC in San-Pedro. These major ongoing industrial projects indeed involve an installed capacity of 140,000 tons.

The main players in the sector are SACO (Barry Callebaut Group, 27%), Olam (22%), CARGILL (17%), Cemoi (10%), Ivory Cocoa Product (3.5%), Choco-Ivoire (3.5%), and others (17%).

The volumes of processed beans increased from 576,994 tons in 2017 to 790,800 tons in 2023, representing an average annual increase of 6.2%. As for the processing rate, it is progressing towards the 2030 target. It increased from 28.6% in 2017 to 38.5% in 2023.

Table 2: Installed capacity and cocoa processing

 Sources :Coffee-Cocoa Council 

• Coffee Processing

The sector for processing robusta coffee cherries into soluble coffee is dominated by NESTLE with an installed capacity of 9,000 tons and the Carré d’or Group. In 2023, the coffee roasting sector has 32 identified roasters. The volume of processed coffee decreased from 18,870 tons in 2022 to 15,795 tons in 2023, a decrease of 16.3% due to the decline in national production.

Table 3: Coffee Processing

 Sources :Coffee-Cocoa Council 

• Cashew Processing

The cashew sector in Côte d'Ivoire is currently one of the most important agro-industrial sectors due to the country's global positioning in terms of production (1st world producer) and its weight in the national economy (2nd agricultural export product). The government's objective is to achieve a processing rate of 50% by 2030.

Côte d'Ivoire has 34 operational processing units, increasing the nominal overall capacity from 77,384 tons in 2014 to 350,000 tons in 2023. About ten installation projects for units are underway and could increase the processing capacity to 500,000 tons/year by 2025.

The main players are Olam Ivoire (50%), Ivoirienne Noix de Cajou (12%), and SITA (10%).

Cashew nut exports reach about fifty countries across all continents. This performance allows Côte d'Ivoire to be the 2nd largest supplier of cashew nuts globally after Vietnam, in addition to being the 3rd largest processing country for cashew nuts in 2023.

The volume of cashew nuts processed locally increased from 37,696 tons in 2014, representing a processing rate of 6.7%, to 265,863 tons in 2023, with a processing rate of 21.7%.

Table 4: Installed capacity and processing rate of cashew nuts