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The FAS Accra, Abidjan (Post) Gulfood Dubai-2025 buyers delegation is generating some $16 million in potential new sales for the Coastal West Africa Region. Post led its largest buyers delegation to date from the Coastal West Africa region – 12 from Ghana, 10 from Côte d’Ivoire, and two from Togo.

Sugar production in 2025/26 is projected to reach 6.6 million tons, which is 13.7 percent higher than the 2024/25 estimated production. This increase is based on expectations for improved sugar content and average cane yield.

FAS Abidjan, Accra (Post) sees the Côte d'Ivoire government's supports, improved inputs, and irrigation investments helping to boost rice production yields.

Wheat production is projected to fall to 27.5 million tons in 2025/26 due to a decrease in cultivated area and extremely dry weather. This shortfall in domestic production is expected to lead to increased imports, forecast at 1.7 million tons.

Côte d'Ivoire is the gateway to the francophone West African market. Its food processing sector is dynamic and growing, offering new opportunities for U.S.-origin food ingredient exporters bold enough to pioneer this market.

This report highlights the food processing industry, its drivers, key players, and market landscape in the Caribbean Basin. The region relies heavily on imports, and the United States is the largest supplier of food ingredients.

FAS Abidjan, Accra (Post) forecasts Côte d’Ivoire’s market year (MY) 2025/2026 (August-July) cotton fiber production at 745,000 bales (480 pounds - lb.), up two percent from the MY 2024/2025 estimate of 730,000 bales.

Following the resumption of genetically engineered soybean imports after two years, soybean imports are forecast to rebound to 2 million tons in 2025/26. With a slight increase in domestic production expected, rapeseed imports are forecast to decline.

Driven by a minor increase in area and assuming average yields, cotton production is expected to increase somewhat in 2025/26. With expectations for continued strong export demand, domestic use is forecast to grow modestly in 2025/26.

The United States is a major trading partner with the Dominican Republic (DR). The DR is the largest economy in the Caribbean and the seventh-largest economy in Latin America. Since the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) went into effect for the DR in 2007, U.S. agricultural exports to the DR have increased from $1 billion in 2007 to $2 billion in 2024.

U.S. soybean exports to Pakistan have resumed after Pakistan removed a 2-year functional ban. On February 18, 2025, Pakistan received its first U.S. soybean shipment of 65,000 tons, and U.S. exporters will soon ship approximately 200,000 more tons.

FAS Abidjan, Accra (Post) foresees Ivorian cocoa bean production in market year (MY) 2024/2025 (October-September) climbing upwards towards 1.8 million metric tons (MMT, improving by over 2 percent from the MY 2023/2024 season’s 1.76 MMT production figure.