French Agricultural Exports to Africa: A Mixed Bag in 2024
According to France Agrimer, Africa remains the third largest market for French agricultural exports outside the EU, with a total volume of €5.1 billion in 2024, down 2% from 2023. While this apparent stability masks contrasting regional dynamics.
Sub-Saharan Africa: A decline of 3.4%
Exports to sub-Saharan Africa by 3.4%, reaching €2.75 billion. This decline is mainly due to the drop in wheat deliveries, down 16%, particularly from Russia in West Africa. Côte d'Ivoire remains the top customer in the region with €444 million (+3%), followed by South Africa (€338 million), Senegal (€282 million), and Cameroon (€206 million), despite a slight decline for the latter three. The sub-region accounts for 53.9% of French exports to the continent.
North Africa: Stability prevails
North Africa, on the other hand, shows stability, with €2.36 billion in purchases, of which over a third is linked to wheat. Morocco retains its top spot with €1.01 billion, while Algeria, the second-largest customer, records a decline to €810 million, particularly for dairy products (-33%), due to diplomatic tensions leading to diversification of supply sources.
A challenging context for French exports
This evolution takes place in a generally less favorable environment for French exports, with agricultural sales to third countries decreasing by 0.8%, particularly for raw products (-4%). Despite this, Africa remains a strategic outlet, albeit an increasingly competitive one.
