Agricultural shifts in West Africa: Rubber gains in Côte d’Ivoire and cotton trends in Benin

In Côte d’Ivoire, the commercialization of rubber seeds generated 8.945 billion FCFA for producers, cooperatives, and transporters between 2023 and 2025. According to Gbahi Djoua Luc, executive director of the FPH-CI, the 2025 campaign saw significant growth, benefiting 18,418 producers and 233 cooperatives. During this period, 63,000 tonnes of rubber seeds were supplied to ENI.

In the West African cotton sector, Benin has become the top producer in the CFA zone with 533,590 tonnes for the 2025-2026 campaign. However, this represents a 16.3% annual decline. Regional cotton production across eight studied countries fell to approximately 1.98 million tonnes, a 14.2% decrease from the previous year. While Mali saw a production collapse of 39.5%, Burkina Faso experienced a 7% increase, reaching 313,042 tonnes.