Côte d’Ivoire: 68.35 Billion FCFA to Transform the Rice Sector and Reduce Imports

As part of efforts to strengthen food security, the Ivorian government ratified on Wednesday, March 4, a financing agreement worth 104.2 million euros, or 68,350,719,400 FCFA, signed on September 1, 2025, with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) for the Rice Value Chain Development Project (PDCVR).

The framework agreement was adopted by decree, confirming financial support for a more competitive and sustainable rice sector. According to the official presidential statement, this funding aims to "strengthen the value chain of production, processing, and marketing of rice," with the goal of significantly reducing imports of this essential staple.

Objectives and components of the project

The PDCVR covers several targeted areas across the entire rice sector:

• Development of hydro-agricultural sites to improve irrigation and yields

• Support for the production of improved seeds for better harvests

• Equipment and operation of production sites

• Processing of paddy into milled rice with improved processing capacity

• Marketing of processed rice on the national market

• Strengthening research capacity and agricultural infrastructure

These measures are part of the government’s strategy to promote local production, reduce dependence on imports, and stabilize food prices in the national market.

Côte d’Ivoire is one of the main rice importers in West Africa. According to official data, the country imports large quantities of rice each year to meet domestic demand, placing pressure on the trade balance and food security. By focusing on boosting domestic production, authorities hope not only to improve self-sufficiency but also to create added value along the entire value chain, from production to marketing.

During the presentation of the Council of Ministers’ communiqué, Amadou Coulibaly, Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, highlighted the importance of this project for the Ivorian economy, particularly for farmers, processors, and consumers. He emphasized that the goal is to make the rice sector a pillar of domestic food production and to sustainably reduce the cost of imports.

The PDCVR project is part of a series of government initiatives aimed at consolidating Côte d’Ivoire’s food sovereignty while boosting rural development and employment in agricultural production areas.