Download Business Library

Business Library
BUSINESS
LIBRARY
AFRICAN COUNTRIES AND AGRICULTURE
See also “NEPAD” and “SADC countries”
Here follows details of the remaining African countries and their Agricultural products.
•
Algeria
Wine is the main export agricultural
sector is restricted to the
Mediterranean Coast. Only one third
of the country’s food requirements
are produced, while the rest is
imported.
•
Benin
Subsistence agriculture
Cotton production
•
Burkino Faso
Over 80% of the population are
engaged in subsistence agriculture
and nomadic stock keeping. Most are
employed in growing peanuts, Shea
nuts, Cotton, Millet, Corn Rice,
Sesame sorghum, & tending
livestock. The country exports cotton
and animal products.
•
Burundi:
Largely a subsistence economy.
Coffee is the country’s chief export
accounting for roughly 80% of
foreign currency receipts. Cotton &
tea are also grown.
•
Cameroon
About 60% of the population is
employed in the agricultural sector.
Timber is a major export. Main
commercial crops are cocoa, coffee,
tobacco, cotton and bananas. Other
commercially grown crops are
rubber, palm products and sugarcane.
Subsistence crops include cassava,
corn, plantains, sweet potatoes, and
millet. Expansion is taking place in
the agricultural based lightmanufacturing sector in areas such as
dairy products, fruit juices, soap and
beer, which aim at local substitution
of the more expensive imports.
•
Cape Verde Islands
Fishing is very important, and
experimental projects have been
conducted in the use of saltwater in
aquaculture. Canned fish and
processing of fishing projects are
important Agri-processing industries.
Salt, bananas, fish and fish products
are principal exports.
•
•
•
•
•
Chad
The agricultural industry employs
the majority of the population.
Cotton is the country’s main export.
The country’s leaders believe that
Chad’s future is in its agriculture and
its livestock.
Central African Republic
Agriculture & forestry are the key
elements of the economy. Coffee is
the main export crop. Timber is also
an important export. Other export
products are wax, rubber, tobacco &
leather. The country is essential self
sufficient in terms of food with
maize, groundnuts, rice, millet,
cassava and sesame being grown.
The livestock industry is also grown.
Comores
The economy is based predominantly
on agriculture, which employs
around 80% of the workforce.
Agriculture, including fishing,
hunting and forestry accounts fir
approximately 40% of GDP. Main
crops are vanilla, ylang-ylang oil and
cloves. Principal food crops are rice,
bananas, cassava and sweet potatoes.
Over 50% of food required has to be
imported
Congo (Republic of)
The agricultural sector has been
neglected and consists mostly of
subsistence farming. Cassava is the
main food crop. Coffee and cocao
are the main cash crops, and sugar
and tobacco are also grown. Other
products include rice, corn, peanuts,
plantains, palm oil, vegetables and
forest products.
Cote’ D Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Agriculture provides approximately
80% of export earnings. Forestry and
fishing are also the country’s main
economic activities. The country is
the world’s largest producer of cocoa
and fifth largest producer of coffee.
Other major cash crops are, palm
kernels, cotton, rubber, sugar, sweet
potatoes, rice, corn, bananas and
pineapples. Cote ‘D Ivoire has
become a major producer of palm
oil. The principal subsistence crops
are yams, cassava and plantains.
•
Djibouti
Nomadic herders graze their cattle,
goats and sheep on the limited
pastureland. Dates are grown on
small areas of irrigated land. Fishing
is a small industry. Sea salt is a
major resource to the country.
•
Egypt
Agriculture is the single most
important sector in the principle
growth sectors, Accounting for one
fifth of the country’s output.
Principles crops are cotton, fresh and
dehydrated onions, dates, citrus
fruits, corn, barley, bleached rice,
beans, sugar cane, sorghum, millet,
peanuts, sesame, soybeans, and
potatoes. Cotton and rice are the
chief cash crops, while maize and
wheat are the subsistence crops. The
fishing industry is also an important
source of foreign exchange.
•
Equatorial Guinea
Farming and fishing contribute to the
country’s GDP with subsistence
farming dominating. The cocoa
industry is an important employment
provider. Industrial activity includes
small scale food and timber
processing.
•
Eritrea
The economy is agriculture based
and employs a large percentage of
the population through farming and
herding. Further developments are
expected in the fishing industry.
•
Ethiopia
The principle cash crop is coffee.
Ethiopia’s main export commodities
include cocoa beans and products,
cut flowers and tea. The main crops
are cereals (teff, wheat, barley,
sorghum and maize). Pulses (horse
beans, lentils and vetch) and oil
seeds (niger seeds, sesame seeds,
caster beans and soya beans). The
other main cash and industrial crops
are cotton, sisal, tobacco, fruit and
vegetables, sugar cane, as well as
hides and livestock (cattle, sheep and
goats).
•
•
Gabon
About 1% of total land area is under
cultivation and agriculture is limited
by the small size of the population.
Principal cash crops are palm oil,
coffee, cocoa and refined sugar,
subsistence crops are cassava, maize
and plantains. Forest covers 75% of
the land area, which enables the
country to commercially exploit and
export both soft and hard woods. The
forestry industry is the second major
industry. Rubber cattle and fishing
are also important.
•
Gambia
Principal exports are groundnuts, fish
and fish products.
•
Ghana
The main export commodities in
Ghana include timber, pineapples,
cocoa beans, copra, cut flowers, fruit
tea and coffee. Agriculture is the
largest economic sector which also
includes cotton, palm oil, sugar cane,
yams, maize, rubber, bananas, rice,
cassava, peanuts, coconuts and corn.
•
dependent on the agricultural
industry. Kenya is one of the world’s
largest tea exporters. The other major
export commodities include cut
flowers, sugar and coffee. Other
principal products are cotton, sisal,
pyrethrum, tobacco, pineapples,
wattle, dairy products, beef, pork,
poultry, eggs and corn. Subsistence
food crops are maize, sorghum,
wheat, cassava, beans and fruit.
Guinea-Bissau
Agriculture is the basis of the
economy. Cashew nuts and
groundnuts are the main export
crops, while tobacco, coconuts, sugar
and palm kernels, are also grown for
export. Food crops include rice,
plantains, maize, cassava, sorghum,
millet, sweet potatoes and beans.
Livestock are kept in the areas of
higher altitude. Fish and timber are
also exported but both industries
hold potential for growth.
•
Libya
The agricultural sector employs a
large portion of the population. A
shortage of arable land and poor
climatic conditions leading to
droughts place severe limitations on
agricultural output. Libya is
consequently forced to import a large
portion of its food needs. Croplands
under irrigation exist around the
oases in the Sabha region.
Madagascar
The key elements of the economy are
agriculture, fishing and forestry,
which bring in about a third of GDP.
Main export commodities include
cotton, fruit, herbs and spices, meat,
seafood, sugar, tea, coffee, tobacco
and vanilla. Crops include cloves,
cassava, bananas, potatoes, copra,
maize, cocoa, beans, peanuts and
pineapples. Paddy rice occupies half
the area under cultivation there is an
abundant supply of sheep, pigs and
poultry.
•
Mali
Cotton is Mali’s primary export.
Mali also produces cereals and rice.
Livestock exports have experienced
growth
•
Mauritania
A large percentage of the land is
desert and most regions are only
suitable for raising livestock due to
unreliable rainfall. Food crop
requirements are supplemented by
imports. Mauritania has rich marine
resources the fishing industry earns a
large portion of the country’s foreign
currency.
•
Guinea
Most of the labour force is employed
in agriculture, which accounts for
about a third of the GDP. Coffee is
the largest export crop but cotton,
fruit and nuts are also exported.
Forestry exists to a small degree but
has potential for growth. Fishing is
carried out by European countries for
which the Guinean Government
receives compensation.
•
Morocco
The agriculture, fishing and forestry
sector employs over a third of the
working population, and arable land
is used for commercial farming. The
main export commodities include
citrus fruits, fertilizers and fish
products. The other principal crops
are wheat, barley, sugar beet, sugar
cane, maize, cereals, olives, tomatoes
and potatoes.
•
Kenya
Employment in Kenya is largely
•
Niger
The economy focuses on rural,
subsistence agriculture, and a small
cotton and livestock industry.
•
Nigeria
The economy is mainly agricultural
with more than half of the workforce
engaged in farming, mostly
subsistence. The main export
commodities include cocoa beans
and products, cotton, fish, nuts, and
rubber. Other cash crops are palm
oil, palm, gum Arabic and sugarcane.
Staple food crops include rice,
maize, taro, yams, cassava, sorghum
and millet. Timber production, the
raising of livestock and artisan
fisheries are also important.
•
Reunion
The economy has traditionally been
based on agriculture. Sugarcane has
been the primary crop for many
years and accounts for about 85% of
exports. Other main export
commodities include essential oils,
fish, langoustines, various perfume
materials, seafood and vanilla. Other
major crops are oil of geraniums and
oil of vetyver (grown for the
production if tropical essences)
maize, fruit and vegetables.
Livestock consists of chickens, cows,
pigs and goats.
•
Rwanda
Agriculture is the largest section of
the economy, having the highest
foreign exchange earnings and
employing the largest sector of the
working population. Coffee and tea
are grown for export while cereals,
vegetables and rice are grown as
food crops.
•
Sao Tome and Principe
The economy of these two islands is
heavily dependent on the export of
cocoa and copra. About one tenth of
the working population is involved in
the fishing industry. The forestry
industry holds potential for
development.
•
Senegal
The main industry is agriculture,
with main crops consisting of cotton
and peanuts. Other major industries
are maize, rice, sugarcane and
livestock, millet, sorghum and
vegetables are cultivated for
domestic consumption. The fishing
sector makes an important
contribution to both the domestic
food supply and export revenue.
Other products include corn and
tomatoes.
•
Sierra Leone
Resources lie within the agricultural
and fishing industries with the
majority of the labour force occupied
in subsistence agriculture. The
fishing industry is growing
specifically with regard to oyster
farming and shrimp production.
•
Somalia
Agriculture accounts for about two
thirds of GDP and provides just
about all the exports. The main Agriindustries include meat and fish
processing, sugar refining and fruit
and vegetable canning.
•
Sudan
The agricultural sector employs the
majority of the work force. The
country has freshwater and marine
fishing potential that is not fully
exploited. In the south natural forest
cover still exists. The main export
commodities include animals, cotton,
cut flowers, fish, gum, Arabic
sesame and sugar. The principal
subsistence crops are sorghum and
wheat.
•
Togo
The economy is highly dependent on
subsistence agriculture, which
contributes about 40% of GDP and is
the livelihood of about three quarters
of the labour force. The main exports
are coffee, cotton and cocoa.
•
Tunisia
Agriculture including forestry and
fishing accounts for 16% of GDP.
The principal cereal crops are wheat
and barley, olives, citrus fruit and
dates are other principal crops. Other
products include beans, peas, chick
peas, tomatoes, potatoes, artichokes,
almonds, meat, milk, eggs, tobacco,
cotton, wood, grapes, beef and
poultry
•
Uganda
Agriculture is the main economic
activity. The principal cash crops are
coffee, tea, cotton and maize.
Livestock is also reared and freshwater fishing is an important activity.
Tobacco, sugar cane, coca and
horticultural goods are also
cultivated. The primary subsistence
crops are plantains, sweet potatoes,
millet, sorghum, beans, cassava,
groundnuts and rice.