Growing opportunities in Ivory Coast’s agriculture

Ivory Coast is the largest producer of cocoa beans in the world. Improving cocoa production requires significant investment in critical infrastructure.  

NAMED for the elephants that once roamed its countryside, the Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) was last year credited for being the world’s largest exporter of cocoa beans, with the country now boasting the largest economy in the West African Economic and Monetary Union.

However, the economy remains predominantly market-based and relies heavily on agriculture. In June, Prime Minister Patrick Achi said it was working to tackle deforestation and child labour-use to ensure its cocoa could continue exports into the European Union (EU), its most significant market.

Earlier this year, the Côte d’Ivoire Ministry of Mines, Oil and Energy and the Côte d’Ivoire Energies (CI-ENERGIES) issued a request for pre-qualification for the Laboa 30MV PV plant design financing, construction and operation contract worth $41 million.

African development financing company Financing Access has two upcoming projects for the Ivory Coast with a combined value of $305 million. The company promotes public-private partnerships based on private financing. It identifies its vocation as producing green energy for cities and industrial facilities, farmers and other players within the agro-industrial value chain.

On a significantly smaller scale, the Ivorian agro-industrial group African Society of the Hevea Plantations (SIFCA) has a $31 million project under construction. The company specialises in the three promising areas of the African economy, namely oil palm, cane sugar and natural rubber. It intervenes across the production chain from plantation exploitation, raw material transformation and marketing.

For more information on opportunities in the Ivory Coast, contact us here.