Staple grounds

Côte d’Ivoire and Ethiopia are anticipated to be the main drivers of Africa’s agricultural sector.

These countries are also believed to be best prepared to face challenges within the sector, including infrastructure, access to the market, processing and industrialisation. This is according to nearly half of the participants in research conducted by consulting firm Havas Horizons, which surveyed 55 major financial and banking institutions based on the continent.

An Asoko Insight report states that Côte d’Ivoire holds a key position in Africa’s commodity supply market, as it is one of the world’s leading cocoa and cashew producers as well as the seventh-largest natural rubber producer.

Ethiopia’s agricultural sector – the world’s fifth-largest coffee producer and second-largest African producer of cut flowers – contributes 45% to its GDP. Kenya on the other hand ranked second on the survey, followed by Morocco in third place, and Cameroon and Nigeria tying in fourth.