Brown rice market in Burkina Faso

Earlier Report Observations

At the start of the period, the brown rice market in Burkina Faso was shaped by post-liberalization structural changes. The entry of private operators following the 1996 market opening and industry restructuring under the 2012 law coincided with high production of 174.7 K t in 2018. However, low productivity, vulnerability to climate change, and limited storage capacity contributed to a sharp drop in production to 111.9 K t in 2019. Despite a rise in imports to 17.5 K t, the total market volume fell to 129.4 K t.

In the following years, market volume recovered and expanded, reaching 182.1 K t in 2021 as production rebounded to 165.6 K t. Imports remained moderate until 2022, when they surged to 62.7 K t, offsetting lower production and pushing the market to 193.4 K t. By 2023, imports grew to 106.8 K t while production stood at 120.4 K t, leading to a record market volume of 227.1 K t.

By 2023, the government intensified support for the rice sector through the Presidential Initiative and the Agropastoral Offensive, including the delivery of optical sorters to improve local rice quality and the development of national rice mills. These measures, aimed at boosting production and reducing import reliance, began to show effect, as evidenced by a 64.6% increase in paddy production in 2024 due to these programs. The state-owned SONAGESS also expanded its role in procurement, strengthening the institutional market.

Production brown rice in Burkina Faso

In kind, 2017-2020, K t

Burkina Faso was one of the world's top producers of brown rice from 2017 to 2020, ranking 15th globally by production volume during this period.

Top producers of brown rice, 2017-2020

World map of production of brown rice, 2017-2020

Following a two-year decline, Burkina Faso's brown rice production rebounded. In 2020, the country produced 113.8 thousand tons of brown rice, marking a 1.6% increase compared to the previous year. However, looking at the broader period from 2017 to 2020, production actually fell by 47.4%, which translates to an average annual decrease of 19.3%. The lowest production level was recorded in 2019 at 111.9 thousand tons, with the steepest year-on-year drop of 35.9% also occurring that year.

Annual dynamics of production in Burkina Faso in kind, 2017-2020, K t

Exports brown rice from Burkina Faso

According to sector analysis, Burkina Faso did not export any brown rice between 2017 and 2020.

Imports brown rice to Burkina Faso

Imports in kind, t

The market exhibited considerable volatility throughout the observed period. Imports reached their lowest point in 2018 at 3 813 tons and peaked in 2020 at 21 760 tons, representing a 5.7-fold difference between these years. In 2020, imports surged by 24.3% compared to the previous year. The most significant decline occurred in 2018, with a drop of 63.3%, while the largest increase was recorded in 2019, soaring by 359.2%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Burkina Faso in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, India dominated Burkina Faso's brown rice imports in volume, accounting for 86.8% of the total. The remaining share was distributed among various smaller trading partners.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Burkina Faso in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

The data shows irregular fluctuations, pointing to a volatile market environment. Imports in value terms bottomed out in 2018 at 905 thousand US dollars and peaked in 2020 at 4 915 thousand US dollars, a difference of 5.4 times. In 2020, the value of brown rice imports jumped by 25.6% year-over-year. The sharpest decline was in 2018, falling by 66.4%, while the largest increase occurred in 2019, rising by 332.3%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Burkina Faso in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, India was the primary supplier of brown rice to Burkina Faso in monetary terms, representing 84.2% of total import value. The remainder was shared among numerous other countries.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Burkina Faso in value, 2017-2020