The government of Côte d’Ivoire has imported a new batch of 35 high-quality breeding pigs from France to strengthen the country’s pork genetics and improve productivity. Received by the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries, the pigs include Piétrain, Landrace and Large White breeds, imported under the Pork Industry Development Project (Pro-Porc).
This follows the first delivery of 50 breeding pigs in 2023 under the same programme. According to Pro-Porc Coordinator Monique Gueu, the imported pigs will be crossbred with local varieties to enhance growth rates, fertility and carcass quality in line with market demand. The initiative aims to rebuild the national herd and improve the quality of breeding stock distributed to farmers.
Currently, local pigs weigh around 60 kilograms at maturity and produce five to six piglets per litter, compared to 110 kilograms and up to 15 piglets for imported European breeds.
The programme also forms part of recovery efforts following recent outbreaks of African swine fever, which severely affected national production. The 2024 outbreak alone led to the culling of over 100,000 pigs, causing losses estimated at US$32 million (20 billion FCFA) and sharply reducing the country’s pig population. Domestic shortages have pushed Côte d’Ivoire to increase pork imports, which rose by an average of 21.4% per year between 2019 and 2023 from 55,712 tonnes to 121,055 tonnes, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The Ministry of Animal Resources estimates the national herd stood at about 464,000 pigs in 2023. Livestock currently contributes 4.5% to agricultural GDP and 2% to national GDP, with pork emerging as an important protein source for households. Through sustained breeding initiatives, the government aims to reduce import dependence and build a resilient, high-performing pork industry to meet growing consumer demand.
