Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire discuss technical cooperation to improve rice cultivation
This initiative demonstrates the shared goals of Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire regarding food sovereignty and inclusive agricultural development, especially as both countries seek to reduce their reliance on rice imports.
Côte d’Ivoire – Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire are currently in talks to establish a formal partnership for technical collaboration in rice cultivation.
This announcement came after a meeting between Ousmane Bereté, Managing Director of the Guinea Investment Company in Agricultural Value Chains (SIGUICODA.SA), and officials from the Ivorian Agency for the Development of the Rice Sector (ADERIZ) during the 7th edition of the Abidjan International Agriculture and Animal Resources Exhibition (SARA), held from May 23 to June 1, 2025.
SIGUICODA has indicated that another meeting is planned soon to refine the details of this emerging partnership.
The priorities identified for this collaboration include:
- Building capacity for stakeholders in the rice interprofessional organization.
- Coordinating investments in key infrastructure, such as hydro-agricultural developments and processing equipment.
- Promoting local rice in national and regional markets.
- Creating a sustainable financing mechanism for the rice sector.
- Labeling and commercially promoting locally produced rice.
According to the latest projections from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Guinea’s milled rice production is expected to remain stagnant at 2.3 million tonnes for the 2024-2025 period, while consumption is anticipated to increase by 140,000 tonnes, reaching nearly 2.9 million tonnes.
Additionally, according to Statista estimates, the rice market in Guinea will generate approximately US$44.54 million in 2025, growing annually by 8.82%. The average rice consumption per person in Guinea is projected to be 1.0 kg in 2025.
In Côte d’Ivoire, the government aims to nearly increase domestic production of milled rice by 55% in order to achieve self-sufficiency by 2026.
Currently, the country depends on imports, primarily from India, Thailand, and Pakistan, to satisfy 46% of its domestic market needs, which are estimated at around 2.8 million tonnes, according to the USDA.
Although Côte d’Ivoire exports rice, it is not a major player in the global rice market, with its main export destinations being neighboring countries in West Africa.
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