Browse Data and Analysis

MY2024/25 cotton area harvested for Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso is estimated to decrease 17 percent to 981,000 HA. This is mainly due to decreased planted area resulting from a late rainy season in all three countries, as well as civil conflict in Burkina Faso.

Import permits for genetically engineered (GE) corn from the United States are once again issued by South Africa. After a mid-summer drought that caused a 22 percent drop in production, South Africa needs to import corn to supplement domestic production.

On July 26, 2016, Côte d’Ivoire enacted its national Biosafety Law No. 2016-553. This law establishes the groundwork for managing genetically engineered (GE) products.

This is a regional report on West Africa that primarily covers Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Mali, but also provides brief overviews in certain sections for Niger, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania.

Post received confirmation on United States genetically engineered (GE) soybean eligibility to enter South Africa. After a mid-summer drought, South Africa needs corn and soybean imports to complement local production. South Africa allows for the importation of synchronized GE event approvals from an exporting country.

In January 2024, Nigeria became the second country in Africa to approve the commercial release of four biotech (TELA) maize varieties.

Mozambique has begun to draft a Biotechnology Law that will allow GE commercialization. The country planted its first genetically engineered (GE) corn trial in 2017 to test drought and pest resistance.

The report summarizes Mozambique’s general food laws, regulatory authorities, major import/export procedures, food and packaging/labeling regulations, registration measures, and other trade facilitation issues. Contact information for major government regulatory agencies and a list of useful local public and private sector contacts for additional technical product-specific information and import assistance is provided at the end of the report.

All the sections of the report have been updated based on website links and contacts, as well as to comply with the updated reporting instructions. The report lists major certificates and permits required to export food and agricultural products from the United States to Mozambique.

The production of apples, pears and table grapes is forecast to improve in MY 2024/25 from MY 2023/24 based on the cold, wet winter of 2024 and new trees coming into production.

FAS Accra observes Ghana making appreciable advancements in the field of plant biotechnology (biotech). The country is expanding its agricultural biotech crops developmental and production capabilities.

The Government of Tanzania continues to implement strict liability requirements on the commercialization of genetically engineered products, as outlined in the 2009 Biosafety Regulations. There are no genetically engineered products imported or commercialized in Tanzania. However, applied biotechnology is used for medicine and public health.