Maclean et al. - 2002 - Rice almanac source book for the most important e

CÔTE D’IVOIRE is centrally located along the southern coast of West Africa between 3° and
8° W longitude and 5° and 10° N latitude. Its borders are formed by Ghana to the east,
Burkina Faso and Mali to the north, Guinea and Liberia to the west, and the Gulf of Guinea to
the south.
The country has two principal zones: the tropical rainforest to the south and the savanna
to the north. Toward the middle of the country, the terrain rises to a low plateau covered by
a partially wooded savanna. Here the annual rainfall totals 1,100—1,200 mm during the rainy
season from April to October.
The Ivorian population was 14.5 million in 1999, of which at least 3 million are immigrants
from neighboring countries. Agriculture supports approximately 60% of the population and
produces more than a third of the GDP. Rice is the principal food crop grown in many areas and
is one of the most important staple foods for the country’s urban population.
General information
• GNI per capita PPP$, 2000: 1,500
• Internal renewable water resources: 76.7
km 3
• Incoming water flow: 1.0 km 3
• Main food consumed: roots and tubers, rice,
oil and fat, maize, fruit
• Rice consumption, 1999: 74.3 kg milled rice
per person per year
Production season
Planting Harvesting
Main season, north May-Jun Oct-Dec
Main season, south Apr-May Sep-Nov
Off-season Dec-Feb Apr-Jun
Production constraints
The major constraints to sustainable rice production
in Côte d'Ivoire are
• Dominance of upland shifting cultivation
• Drought stress, low soil fertility, and erosion
of soil and soil fertility in upland areas,
which are the dominant rice ecosystem
• Blast and weed competition
• Inadequate and irregular input supplies:
seeds, fertilizer, and credit
• Lack of well-defined rice policies: rice has
been given low priority in national policy
• Weak research and extension support
• Poor road networks and marketing systems
150 Rice almanac