Featured News

• Côte d’Ivoire presented 13 rice-sector investment projects worth $1.25 billion to 24 Italian companies, seeking partners to expand domestic production and reduce reliance on imports.
• The proposed investments include developing 35,000 hectares of irrigated farmland in Kossou and Buyo, alongside projects in mechanization, seed production, storage and rice processing.
• Côte d’Ivoire imported about 1.6 million tons of milled rice in 2024, while less than 900,000 hectares of its more than 2 million hectares of land suitable for rice cultivation are currently used for the crop.

Côte d’Ivoire Pitches $1.25 Billion in Rice Projects to Italian Firms

Côte d’Ivoire presented 13 rice-sector investment projects worth an estimated $1.25 billion to 24 Italian companies at a roundtable organized by the Agriculture Ministry on Sunday, October 18, 2026. According to a statement published on the ministry's website, the meeting focused on investment opportunities in domestic food production.

Bernard Kini Comoé, the minister delegate in charge of food crop production, said the goal was to turn discussions into concrete investments that would increase domestic production, reduce reliance on imports and strengthen food sovereignty.

Investment Needs Exceed $1 Billion

The government estimates that the portfolio of rice projects presented to the Italian companies will require CFAF 731.6 billion ($1.25 billion) in investment.

"Among the flagship projects is the development of 35,000 hectares of irrigated farmland in Kossou and Buyo, requiring CFAF 355 billion," the ministry said in its statement. Other investment opportunities include agricultural mechanization, seed production, rehabilitation of rice-growing areas, storage facilities and modernization of processing plants.

These investment needs align with several areas of expertise in Italy's rice industry. As the European Union's largest rice producer, Italy has expertise in agricultural mechanization and crop breeding. Its public agricultural research organization, the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), conducts research on adapting crops to water constraints, while Italian companies are active in rice processing and packaging.

This expertise could provide opportunities for cooperation with Côte d’Ivoire, depending on the interest of the companies involved and the suitability of their proposed solutions to local conditions.

The initiative is part of Côte d’Ivoire's broader efforts to attract international partners to develop its rice industry. In April 2026, the Agriculture Ministry received a delegation of investors from the United Arab Emirates led by Alina Adomaityte, a representative of Resources Investment LLC, to discuss potential investments in the sector.

Côte d’Ivoire remains heavily dependent on imports to meet domestic demand for rice, a staple food. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the country imported approximately 1.6 million tons of milled rice in 2024, compared with estimated consumption of nearly 2.95 million tons.

This dependence contrasts with the country's potential to expand domestic production. Official figures indicate that Côte d’Ivoire has more than 2 million hectares of land suitable for rice cultivation. Yet less than 900,000 hectares are currently devoted to the crop, according to the USDA. Expanding cultivated areas, improving yields and developing irrigation are therefore among the main ways to increase domestic rice production.

Source : ecofinagency