document, the institution common to the eight WAEMU member states notes that the gross value added of the primary sector increased by 1.6% in the third quarter of 2020, compared to the same period of the previous year, after a rise of 1.5% a quarter earlier.

This reflects an increase in the pace of growth of livestock and fishing activities, as well as the increase in food production during the 2020/2021 crop year. According to the Agrhymet Regional Centre, this would be marked by rainfall that is generally surplus than normal on the Sahelo-Sudanian strip of West Africa and in deficit on the coastal south of the Gulf of Guinea countries. On this basis, the expected yields of rainfed crops would be largely higher than the median values of the last 5 years.

According to the first available forecasts, food production would increase by 3.5% during the 2020/2021 season compared to the previous season, standing at 69,277,297 tons. This increase would come from the increase in cereal harvests by 3.7%, tubers by 3.0% and other crops by 3.9%, bringing them to 31,510,992 tons, 25,041,673 tons and 12,724,632 tons respectively. Compared to the average of the previous five years, the harvests of the 2020/2021 season would increase by 13.1%.

The production of the main cash crops would show contrasting trends during the 2020/2021 crop year. The quantity of groundnuts for the 2020/2021 season would amount to 3,674,650 tonnes, up 4.2% compared to the previous season, due to the good distribution of rainfall, which would promote increased production in all EU Member States.

Cashew production is expected to be 1,404,448 tonnes in the 2020/2021 season, up 25.7% compared to the previous season. This development would come mainly from the 42.1% increase in harvests recorded in Côte d'Ivoire, in connection with the closure of borders which has reduced production leakage to certain neighbouring countries.

Rubber production would amount to 526,186 tonnes in the 2020/2021 season, an increase of 10.0% compared to the previous agricultural season, due to the increase in the areas that went into production. On the other hand, the seed cotton harvest would amount to 2,263,727 tonnes during the 2020/2021 season, down 17.1% compared to the 2019/2020 season.

Cocoa production is expected to fall by 8.2% during the 2020/2021 season, reaching 2,064,692 tonnes in the Union. This situation would result mainly from Côte d'Ivoire's desire to limit the supply of this speculation, in order to avoid a collapse in world prices. Coffee production is estimated at 106,655 tonnes in the 2020/2021 season, down 7.6% compared to the previous season, due in particular to the vegetative rest due to the production cycle as well as the measures taken by Côte d'Ivoire to rationalize the exploitation of forest resources and preserve the vegetation. muse of the country.