Sipef buys Tiabam and targets 70,000 tonnes of banana output in Côte d’Ivoire
Belgian agricultural group Sipef is acquiring the Tiabam plantation near Tiassalé through Plantations J. Eglin. The deal adds 12,000-14,000 tonnes of annual banana output and could take Sipef’s Ivorian production close to 70,000 tonnes.
Sipef adds a sixth estate in the Lagunes district
Belgian agricultural group Sipef is expanding its banana operations in Côte d’Ivoire with the acquisition of Tiabam, a plantation near Tiassalé. Afrimag reported that the transaction, announced on 7 September and conducted through local subsidiary Plantations J. Eglin, is expected to close before the end of the month. The purchase price has not been disclosed.
Tiabam covers approximately 450 hectares, including 320 hectares currently planted with bananas. It employs nearly 400 people and produces between 12,000 and 14,000 tonnes annually. Following the transaction, Plantations J. Eglin will operate six estates in the Lagunes district, extending a production base that already included 1,238 hectares of banana plantations in Côte d’Ivoire.
Proximity to Akoudjé supports cost savings
The plantation’s location close to Sipef’s existing Akoudjé estate is central to the industrial logic of the deal. Sipef plans to combine functions including procurement, logistics, technical supervision, packing and exports. Chief executive Petra Meekers said the acquisition would allow Plantations J. Eglin to increase its scale and generate operational synergies.
The integration could improve asset use across both estates and reduce duplication in activities that directly affect the delivered cost of bananas. Shared packing and export operations are especially relevant for a perishable product requiring coordinated harvesting, handling and shipment. The acquisition therefore adds production while also giving Sipef an opportunity to raise efficiency across a larger cluster of plantations.
Annual output moves toward 70,000 tonnes
Sipef’s Ivorian plantations produced 52,159 tonnes in 2025, an increase of 2.2% from the previous year despite heavy rainfall and several storms, according to Afrimag. Adding Tiabam’s current production would lift the combined volume to between 64,159 and 66,159 tonnes before any further gains from integration or expansion.
Sipef expects the acquisition to bring annual production closer to 70,000 tonnes, supported by the continuing development of new acreage at Akoudjé. Its existing Ivorian plantations are mainly devoted to Cavendish Grande Naine bananas, a variety valued in export markets. More than 70% of Tiabam’s crop is shipped to Europe, while the remainder is sold in West Africa, particularly in Côte d’Ivoire. This mix gives the enlarged operation access to both export demand and regional outlets.
Deal advances consolidation in an export-led sector
The acquisition comes as Côte d’Ivoire’s banana industry attracts larger international operators seeking volume, cost control and command of logistics. Banana production is the leading activity in the country’s horticultural subsector. Ivorian customs data cited by Afrimag show that sector sales generated CFA141.4 billion in 2024, equivalent to about $250 million and nearly twice the level recorded in 2015.
Côte d’Ivoire exported around 271,000 tonnes of bananas in 2025, accounting for more than one-third of African volumes, according to FAO figures reported by Afrimag. At Sipef’s stated target, its Ivorian plantations would produce a volume equal to roughly one-quarter of that 2025 national export figure, although part of Tiabam’s output remains in regional markets. For producers and traders, the deal strengthens a model based on clustered estates, centralized services and access to European buyers. Its final commercial effect will depend on how quickly Sipef develops Akoudjé and converts the expected operating synergies into higher yields or lower costs.