The Ivorian government plans to promote local processing to add value to its rubber industry and make agriculture a driver of economic transformation, a senior official has said.

"The government has set a clear goal: to make our agriculture a driver of economic transformation, creating wealth and jobs," Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Production Minister Bruno Nabagne Kone said Friday at a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the Association of Natural Rubber Professionals of Cote d'Ivoire (APROMAC) in Abidjan,the country's economic hub.

For the rubber industry, the minister identified four priority tasks, including the expansion of local processing, putting producers at the heart of the industry, preparing for the renewal of plantations, and achieving sustainability.

The minister stressed the need to improve the quality and traceability of production to meet the increasingly stringent requirements of international markets, and called for greater participation by young people and women in the development of the industry.

According to Kone, Cote d'Ivoire has been Africa's largest natural rubber producer since 1990, accounting for more than 85% of the continent's output. Natural rubber has become Cote d'Ivoire's largest agricultural export by volume, surpassing cocoa.

More than 1.5 million people in Cote d'Ivoire currently depend on rubber cultivation for their livelihoods, Kone said, stressing the importance of ensuring better remuneration for producers and a fairer distribution of value across the industry.

The minister also urged stakeholders to comply with marketing regulations and price-setting mechanisms to protect planters' incomes.

The 50th anniversary of APROMAC was celebrated alongside the second edition of the Cote d'Ivoire Natural Rubber Days, which took place in Abidjan on November 5 and 6.