• Guinea signs partnership with Brazil’s Rio Verde to boost livestock output

• Over 2,000 purebred Brazilian cows to be introduced at Boké center

• Move aims to cut dairy imports averaging 9,373 tons a year

Guinea’s Ministry of Livestock announced on February 16 it signed a partnership with Brazil’s Rio Verde Group to strengthen animal productivity and output, especially meat and milk, through technology and skills transfer.

In a statement published on its website, the ministry said the agreement will allow the introduction of more than 2,000 purebred Brazilian cows at the Livestock Support and Demonstration Center (CAE) in Boké, with the aim of boosting the national herd and improving its performance.

“With Rio Verde Group, we will notably import purebred cattle from Brazil for artificial insemination using advanced technology, carry out embryo transfers, and set up a laboratory that will enable ministry technicians to implement these embryo transfer techniques nationwide,” said Félix Lamah, Minister of Livestock.

Brazil has a strong reputation for the genetic potential of its cattle breeds adapted to tropical conditions and holds a leading position in global livestock markets.

Data compiled by the FAO show that Brazil is the world’s second-largest beef producer after the United States and the leading global exporter. It is also the fifth-largest producer of dairy products after India, the United States, Pakistan, and China.

Overall, the partnership with Rio Verde formalizes cooperation between Conakry and Brasília on genetic improvement of the national herd. In October 2025, the Ministry of Livestock had already announced support from the Brazilian Cooperation Agency for the implementation of a genetic improvement program for the N’Dama breed.

The agreement will also support ongoing efforts to improve national herd productivity. In partnership with the FAO, the ministry launched in November 2025 an artificial insemination program targeting 1,000 cows in the Dubréka prefecture. The goal was to cross the local N’Dama breed with the Montbéliarde, a versatile French breed known for producing high-quality milk and well-regarded beef.

A regional trend

More broadly, Guinea’s cooperation with Brazil on cattle genetic improvement reflects a wider trend in West Africa. In January, Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Agriculture unveiled a program to import 710 pregnant cows of the Guzerá, Gir, Holstein, and Nelore breeds from Brazil, known for their high dairy and meat potential. The announcement followed discussions launched in June 2025 with the Daniel Franco Institute (IDF), recognized in Brazil for its expertise in animal selection and sustainable livestock farming.

Earlier, in November 2024, the Senegalese government also announced the import of 1,000 Guzerá cattle with high meat potential from Brazil under a public-private partnership. As in Guinea, both countries aim to raise herd productivity through genetic improvement to increase either local beef or milk supply.

FAO data show that Guinea imported about 9,373 tons of dairy products (raw milk, whole milk, butter, yogurt, among others) per year on average between 2020 and 2024. The associated import bill averaged about $20.66 million annually over the same period.

Stéphanas Assocle