Côte d’Ivoire Shea Season Update: Good Volumes and Stable Quality

Introduction

The shea purchasing campaign in Côte d’Ivoire began on 14 August, when the CCAK announced the terms of reference for this new campaign. As we are experiencing first-hand, the volumes available for this campaign are higher than those recorded in the 2025 campaign. This is good news for all processors and exporters in Côte d’Ivoire.

Weather conditions

In terms of weather, the year has not shown major deviations from historical trends, although the effect of El Niño on the climate of northern Côte d’Ivoire, and on the shea trees, remains to be confirmed. As the chart shows, rainfall this September has been very high, which has at times limited nut purchasing activity.

Product quality

The quality of the nuts in the field is showing a fatty acid profile similar to that of the previous campaign. Ivoire Essentials is working to guarantee the quality of the nuts purchased, to train cooperatives in the most appropriate storage techniques, and to speed up nut processing in order to obtain the best possible quality of shea butter.

Purchasing in the field

As the picture shows, our sourcing team is in the middle of purchasing nuts in the field. We always work with the same cooperatives, selected for the quality of their product as well as their know-how. Each of the women who supply the product is paid for the exact kilos delivered. The income generated by this activity is a very important part of their annual income, so our activity has a very positive impact on their autonomy as well as on the economy of the villages we work with.

Each loaded bag weighs exactly 80 kg, to ensure homogeneity throughout the supply chain. After purchase, the bags are transported with all necessary precautions to our nut warehouse. The nuts are then progressively used to produce the shea butter for our commercial programmes. All of this coordination, communication and training work is led by our shea programme manager, Cheick Yameogo, who has extensive experience in managing shea supply structuring programmes.

Now is the time

For all buyers, now is the best time to place your orders, as the nuts are at peak quality, which will result in the best possible product. We are available at our contact address info@ivoireessentials.com for any request, clarification or other requirement.

We will keep you updated on the progress of our shea programme in upcoming posts.