Côte d’Ivoire plans to expand its natural rubber production capacity by developing an additional 500,000 hectares of rubber tree plantations over the next decade, as the world’s leading African producer seeks to capitalise on rising global demand and strengthen its agricultural export base.
The plan was unveiled during the general assembly of the Association of Producers for the Revitalization of Rubber Farming in Côte d’Ivoire (APRHE-CI), according to the Ivorian Press Agency.
The expansion reflects the government’s strategy to position natural rubber as a long-term growth pillar alongside cocoa, which has historically dominated the country’s agricultural exports.
“The objective is to respond to the sustained increase in global demand for natural rubber,” said Dagniny Doukouré, chairman of APRHE’s board, adding that Côte d’Ivoire intends to consolidate its role as a major supplier on international markets.
APRHE represents more than 12,000 rubber producers nationwide and is seeking to remobilise its members as production expands. The association has rolled out technical training programmes covering tapping techniques, grafting, staking and improved planting practices, aimed at boosting yields and ensuring sustainability.
To strengthen producers’ bargaining power, APRHE has also created a new cooperative, COOP-AWALEY, designed to pool output, improve market access and enhance price negotiations with processors and exporters.
Côte d’Ivoire has already recorded steady growth in rubber cultivation in recent years. Rubber-growing areas increased by about 3 percent, from 701,481 hectares in 2019 to 722,502 hectares in 2023, according to data from the Rubber and Oil Palm Council.
That expansion has translated into a sharp rise in exports. Customs data show that natural rubber shipments more than doubled over the period, climbing from 876,200 tonnes in 2019 to 1.87 million tonnes in 2023.
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Export revenues followed the same trend, rising from CFA531 billion (about $950 million) in 2019 to CFA1,244 billion (around $2.23 billion) in 2023. The performance has cemented natural rubber’s position as Côte d’Ivoire’s second-largest source of agricultural export earnings, behind cocoa.
For Abidjan, scaling up production is critical to capturing favourable international market dynamics. In its October Commodities Markets Outlook, the World Bank estimated that global demand for natural rubber rose by 2 percent in the 12 months through September 2025, supported by recovering industrial activity and transport demand.
Market research firm Mordor Intelligence values the global natural rubber market at $48.5 billion in 2025 and forecasts average annual growth of 4.6 percent through 2030, when it is expected to reach about $60.7 billion.
Demand is being driven largely by the automotive sector, particularly the rapid expansion of electric vehicles, which rely heavily on tyres made with natural rubber. Infrastructure development across Asia and Africa is also boosting consumption, while the healthcare sector is increasing its use of high-purity latex in medical gloves and equipment.
Beyond exports, Côte d’Ivoire sees the rubber expansion as a way to stimulate downstream industries and diversify rural incomes. Agricultural byproducts from rubber cultivation are increasingly being used in energy and industrial projects.
In the central-western town of Divo, Société des Énergies Nouvelles announced plans in June to develop a 76-megawatt power plant fuelled by agricultural waste, including end-of-life rubber trees. The project is expected to provide renewable electricity while creating additional value from ageing plantations.
At the same time, Italian energy group Eni has begun processing rubber seeds into vegetable oil for use in its biorefineries. Following a successful pilot phase, Eni signed an agreement with the Ivorian government in May to help structure a national biofuels value chain.
Authorities say such initiatives could open new energy outlets for the sector, reduce waste and generate supplementary income for smallholders, making rubber cultivation more resilient to price swings.
With its planned 500,000-hectare expansion, Côte d’Ivoire is betting that strong global demand and growing domestic processing will sustain the rubber sector’s momentum, reinforce export earnings and support broader economic diversification over the coming decade.
