The strategy for developing food crop agriculture aligns with the overall vision of the Ivorian government, which aims to achieve: “a sustainable, competitive Ivorian agriculture that creates wealth equitably shared” and to comply with Goal No. 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which calls on countries to eradicate hunger and all forms of malnutrition.

In this context, a first National Agricultural Investment Program, mobilizing 1,600 billion CFA francs out of 2,040 billion CFA francs, was implemented during the period 2012 – 2017 (PNIA 1), followed by a second program, PNIA 2, covering the period 2018 – 2025.

PNIA 2, which has a cost of 12,315 billion CFA francs divided between public (35%) and private (65%) investments, is a key driver in the transformation of agricultural products and agricultural development. The development strategy is based on:

• the grouping of different regions of the country into Agro-Poles based on agro-ecological, administrative, social, and economic criteria;

• the promotion of sustainable agriculture.

Characterization of Agro-Poles

An Agro-Pole is a grouping based on agro-ecological criteria, allowing crops that require similar climatic conditions to be prioritized in the same areas. It enables producers to benefit from specific government services such as extension services, subsidies, and input distribution.

Since 2019, nine (9) Agro-Poles have been identified based on these groupings. The map below (Figure 1) illustrates the proposed zoning and the relevant export industrial crops (Table 1).

To date, two (2) of these Agro-Poles have been implemented with public funding of 247.4 billion CFA francs. They are:

•  Agro-Pole 4 through the Agro-Industrial Poles Project- 2PAI-Center for an amount of 80 billion CFA francs;

• Agro-Pole 1 through the Agro-Industrial Poles Project- 2PAI-North for an amount of 167.4 billion CFA francs.

These have mobilized over 200 million dollars in investments, thus fostering the emergence of new agro-industrial enterprises and job creation. These Agro-Poles, as pillars of PNIA 2, have seen their operations intensify, with a focus on crop diversification, farmer training, access to agricultural inputs, product storage in food crop grouping centers, and especially product transformation.

For the year 2023, food crop productions as a whole recorded good progress, with over 22.5 million tons compared to 20.4 million tons in 2022, representing an increase of 9.8%.

Map of Agro-Poles in Côte d'Ivoire

Sources: MEMINADERPV/DSDI

Main Food Crop Cultures of the Agro-Poles

Sources: MEMINADERPV/DSDI

Food Crop Productions

• Cereal Crops

The main cereals produced in Côte d'Ivoire are, in order: paddy rice, maize, sorghum, and millet. The productions of maize, millet, and sorghum have shown average annual growth rates of 5.7%, 1.5%, and 2.0% respectively between 2015 and 2023. Maize cultivation benefits from the production and distribution of seeds, as well as the distribution of inputs (plant material and fertilizers). As for rice, one of the main staple foods, its production decreased by an average of 7.2% annually between 2015 and 2020. This decline is due, among other factors, to insufficient supply of improved seeds, limited capacity of processing units, and insufficient funding for the paddy sector. However, a recovery has been observed since 2020, with an average annual increase of 10.7% between 2020 and 2023, thanks to the reforms undertaken, notably an expansion of the cultivated areas and intensification with better productivity (average yield increased from 2.3 tons/hectare in 2020 to 2.8 tons/hectare in 2023). Cereal crops such as millet, sorghum, and fonio, although benefiting from mechanization efforts in the sector for cultivation and harvesting, suffer from the effects of climate change, lack of labor, and damage caused by livestock.

Production of Main Cereals in Thousands of Tons

Sources: MEMINADERPV/DSDI

• Tubers and Plantains

The main tubers produced in Côte d'Ivoire are yam, cassava, and plantain banana, which recorded average annual increases of 1.5%, 8.2%, and 3.6% respectively between 2015 and 2023. Côte d'Ivoire also produces sweet potatoes and taro, which have progressed at average annual rates of 2.4% and 1.7% from 2015 to 2023. The cassava sector represented over 45% of tuber production in 2023. It has benefited from several programs to increase production, notably the Support Project for the Development of Cassava and Vegetable Sectors (PRO2M) and PNIA 2.

Production of Main Roots, Tubers, and Plantains in Thousands of Tons

Sources: MEMINADERPV/DSDI

• Vegetable and Legume Crops

The main vegetable crops produced in Côte d'Ivoire are okra, eggplant, tomato, and pepper.

From 2015 to 2021, the productions of okra and eggplant increased at average annual rates of 4.2% and 2.1% respectively.

However, in 2022, the productions of okra and eggplant decreased by 58.8% and 18.1% respectively compared to 2021. This situation is explained by the attacks of "jassids" (pest insects) that occurred in July 2022 in the cotton basin.

The productions of okra and eggplant rebounded in 2023 with respective increases of 114.9% and 34.4% thanks to the control of the "jassid" invasion. Tomato production has seen continuous growth since 2015, with an average annual growth rate of 4.2%.

As for peanuts, the main legume in Côte d'Ivoire, its production has increased between 2015 and 2023 at an average annual rate of 5.6%.

The vegetable sector benefits from the outcomes of the Hydro-Agricultural Development Project in the Folon and Kabadougou Regions (PAHA FK), which aims for an additional annual production of 4,800 tons; and the Hydro-Agricultural Developments Project in the Haut Sassandra and Fromager regions (PAHAHSF), which plans for an additional production of between 4,000 and 6,160 tons.

Furthermore, PRO2M has enabled (i) the promotion of a more professional, efficient, organized, and job-creating vegetable sector, (ii) an annual vegetable production of approximately 8,300 tons ensured in all seasons by more than 2,000 beneficiaries (including women and youth), 42 agro-entrepreneurs, and 33 groups.

Production of Main Vegetable and Legume Crops in Thousands of Tons

Sources: MEMINADERPV/DSDI

• Challenges and Perspectives

Looking ahead, in order to ensure food security, the government aims to: (i) increase the production of rice, maize, and cassava through the strengthening of agricultural production techniques, particularly by improving access to adapted agricultural advice within the framework of the Emergency Agricultural Programs Project (2PAU-CI), (ii) improve access for vulnerable households to foodstuffs, and (iii) organize food security reserves by establishing an institutional framework for managing food reserves and food security storage infrastructures.

The government's interventions will also consist of improving access to quality inputs by establishing and enhancing seed processing and conservation infrastructures, as well as strengthening the control system for production, marketing, and use of inputs.

Reference Documents:

• Strategic Guidelines PND 2021-2025, Volume 2

• PNIA 2 Report, September 2017

• PNIA 2 Report, September 2023

• Agricultural Statistics Yearbook, 2019 – 2021 edition

• Agricultural Statistics Yearbook, 2022 – 2023 edition