Browse Data and Analysis

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.

Paraguayan beef exports in 2025 are forecast down at 450,000 tons carcass weight equivalent with an expected smaller beef supply after a very large slaughter in 2024.

Zambia’s production of its staple crop, corn, is expected to drop by more than 50 percent in marketing year 2024/25, due to extended dry spells associated with the El Niño event. Almost a million hectares of corn have been destroyed by the drought that forced the Zambian President to declare a “National Disaster and Emergency”.

Paraguayan wheat production in marketing year (MY) 2024/2025 is forecast up at 1.15 million tons as a result of a significant increase in planted area and improved yields. Wheat exports would also be up at 450,000 tons.

Post projects marketing year (MY) 2024/2025 soybean production at 10.3 million metric tons (MMT) with increased planted area of to 3.59 million hectares on increased second crop planting.

Highlight: Beef production and exports in 2024 are projected to increase marginally. Exports at 445,000 tons carcass weight equivalent would be the second highest on record.

Zambia’s production of its staple crop, corn, is expected to grow by 23 percent to 3.3 million metric tons (MMT) in marketing year (MY) 2023/24, mainly due to an upsurge in planted area.

Posts projects Paraguay’s wheat production for marketing year (MY) 2023/2024 to increase to 1.25 million metric tons (MMT), with exports rising to 410,000 MT.

Post projects marketing year (MY) 2023/2024 soybean production at 10 million metric tons (MMT) as planted area rises to 3.55 million hectares and Paraguay returns to trend for yield. MY 2023/2024 exports are projected at 6.4 MMT.

Paraguayan beef exports in 2023 are forecast to decline to 390,000 tons carcass weight equivalent, the second drop in a row thanks to declining cattle production. The country is suffering from the third consecutive year of La Niña conditions, which leads to dry weather in most regions.

Despite lower production in marketing year (MY) 2022/23, Zambia’s production of its staple crop, corn, will be sufficient to meet domestic demand. Zambia’s corn crop is forecast to decline by 25 percent to 2.7 million metric tons (MMT) in MY 2022/23, after producing a record crop 3.6 MMT in MY 2021/22.

Rice production in Senegal, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Mali is forecast at 8.02 million metric tons (MMT) in MY 2022/23 on average weather, improved irrigation, and enhanced stability in production areas. The 15 percent jump from MY 2021/22 follows a growing season that was plagued by poor weather, militant activity and instability in Mali, and irrigation issues and pest prevalence in Senegal.