Ivory Coast to strengthen pork imports from Brazil amid local sector challenges

IVORY COAST – Ivory Coast has secured a commitment from Brazil to supply 25,000 tons of pork to the West African country’s livestock sector, as confirmed by the Ministry of Animal and Fisheries Resources in a statement in February.

This agreement comes after the growing demand for Brazilian pork in Ivory Coast, which has seen a steady increase in imports since 2019.

According to data from the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), purchases of Brazilian pork by Ivory Coast rose by an average of 28.46% annually, reaching 18,170 tons in 2023, up from just 6,674 tons four years earlier.

With these figures, Ivory Coast surpassed the Democratic Republic of Congo to become the second-largest African buyer of Brazilian pork, only behind Angola, a huge shift from its position as the 13th-largest market in 2019.

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that Ivory Coast imported more than US$96 million worth of pork, with 16% sourced from Brazil, while Poland and Germany accounted for 18% and 13%, respectively.

The demand for pork in urban and peri-urban areas, particularly in Abidjan, is driving the rise in imports, as dishes such as pork kedjénou and braised pork are gaining popularity.

FAO data also reveals a notable growth in pork consumption in Ivory Coast, with the volume of imports growing by an average of 21.41% per year, reaching 121,055 tons in 2023.

Despite the surge in demand, the country’s local pork production has struggled to keep pace, stagnating at around 11,000 tons between 2019 and 2023.

This issue stems from multiple factors, including poor breeding practices, limited financial support for local producers, and the persistent challenge of African swine fever (ASF), which has plagued the country’s pork sector.

Ivory Coast has reported five ASF outbreaks between 2015 and 2023, resulting in direct losses of approximately US$15 million, with the latest outbreak in 2024 causing US$30 million in damage.

This ongoing crisis has delayed the government’s ambitions to increase local pork production to 25,000 tons by 2026 under its National Livestock, Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Policy (PONADEPA).

To address the challenges, several initiatives are underway, including the Porcine Sector Development Project (PRODEF-Porc), launched in 2023, which aims to improve breeding practices and support young farmers and women through specialized training in genetic techniques.

Additionally, the Centre for the Promotion of Investments in Ivory Coast (CEPICI) is working to raise US$34 million, backed by the private sector, to enhance the pig farming industry and combat the effects of ASF.

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