The Interprofessional Fund for Agricultural Research and Advisory Services (FIRCA) and the Association of Natural Rubber Professionals of Ivory Coast (APROMAC) are raising the alarm: despite its position as the leading African producer and third largest global producer of rubber (more than 1.7 million tons), Ivory Coast sees its profitability limited by the low local processing of its production.

The urgent need for a strategic transformation

A recent study, presented at a workshop in Grand-Bassam, confirmed that a second transformation of rubber is now a "strategic, economic and social necessity" .

1. The observation: Although the first transformation (production of granulated rubber) is well developed with 41 factories in operation, national production is mostly exported after this stage.
2. Value-added deficit: According to Mr. Ehouman Moulokoni John Anderson of FIRCA, value added remains low. The study reveals that barely 0.1% of national production (approximately 2,000 tons per year) is processed locally into finished products (mainly mattresses).
3. The industrial imperative: Mr. Jacques Datté, from the Ministry of Agriculture, argued that local processing is a strategic imperative to strengthen industrial sovereignty and reduce exposure to fluctuations in international markets.

Recommendations for acceleration

To overcome the difficulties of the second transformation and achieve the growth objective, the study led by Kouamé N'Da Valery formulated several key recommendations:

1. Structural Support: Overcoming challenges related to financing , training , market access and the structuring of actors .
2. Partnerships: Draw inspiration from Asian strategies and promote public-private partnerships (PPPs) .
3. Quality and Training: Improve production quality through training of technical agents in latex harvesting .
4. Business Development: Creating processing companies to benefit local producer groups .
5. Securing Investments: Ensure the existence of commercial outlets for finished products before any investment in a factory.

The study should soon lead to the creation of an illustrated catalogue presenting the potential derivative products of natural rubber (latex, coagulum, crepes, etc.) to stimulate investment in this crucial sector.