• ANADER adopted a CFA167.42 billion ($300 million) strategic plan for 2026–2030.

• The plan targets higher yields in rice, cassava, maize, horticulture and livestock.

• Côte d’Ivoire imported $2.89 billion in agricultural and food products between 2021 and 2023.

The National Agency for Rural Development Support (ANADER) announced on February 17 that it adopted its new strategic development plan for 2026–2030. Authorities estimate the total cost at CFA167.42 billion($300 million). The roadmap aims to strengthen agricultural productivity and improve the resilience of rural populations.

According to information relayed by the Ivorian Press Agency (AIP), ANADER will structure its interventions around five major strategic pillars. The agency will strengthen agricultural competitiveness, intensify and tailor advisory services to producers, and facilitate access to inputs and mechanization. The plan will also promote integrated rural development, including the structuring of professional organizations, community health and nutrition awareness, and support for local authorities in planning.

The roadmap will primarily target strategic food crops, including rice, maize, cassava and horticultural crops. The agency will also support cattle, sheep and pig farming. Authorities aim to increase yields, expand cultivated areas and modernize livestock practices.

“The ambition? To increase cassava yields from 22 to 45 tons/ha and rice yields from 4 to 8 tons/ha. To achieve this, ANADER is focusing on modernization: digitization of field operations, drones, mechanization, and a stronger regional presence with its 60 intervention zones and 1,100 rural centers.” the agency said in a statement published on its website.

Côte d’Ivoire continues to depend heavily on food imports despite its food sovereignty strategy. The country ranks as the second-largest food importer in West Africa after Nigeria.

A report published in July 2025 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (CNUCED) showed that Côte d’Ivoire imported nearly $2.89 billion in agricultural and food products between 2021 and 2023. Rice and meat and edible offal ranked among the main import categories and form part of the key value chains targeted by ANADER.

This article was initially published in French by Stéphanas Assocle

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum