Cotton has long been used by populations in the northern part of Côte d’Ivoire for their craft. Its production, on an industrial scale, was undertaken around 1900 by French spinners who operated from Bouaké, in the center of Côte d’Ivoire.
The oil palm is an oilseed plant which originates from West Africa. It has long been a feature of our forests, especially in the southern part of the country.
The First Palm Plan was implemented between 1963 and 1985. It involved 76,500 ha of plantations including 49,000 ha of industrial plantations and 27,500 of village plantations.
From 1986 to 1990, the Second Palm Plan was implemented with 65,000 ha of plantations including 17,000 ha of industrial plantations and 49,000 ha of village plantations.
Natural rubber comes from the Hevea Brasiliensis plant of Latin America. It was trialled in Côte d’Ivoire in the 40’s but cultivation was undertaken in 1953 by Compagnie Française de Caoutchouc d’Extrême-Orient et d’Afrique and Société Africaine de Plantation d’Hévéa (S.A.P.H) a year later.
Following its independence in 1960, Côte d’Ivoire developed the natural rubber sector through the following actions:
