SOURCE: Ayi Renaud Dossavi, Togo First
Between 2017 and 2019, Togo’s pineapple output grew by 11.6%, from 27,000 tons to 30,149 tons. The sector, which employs more than 3,200 producers, generated over CFA6 billion per year (USD 11 million) over the period reviewed. Out of this sum, the State got more than CFA200 million (USD 368,000).
The pineapple industry, mainly oriented towards processing and export, produces more than one million liters of pineapple juice, 20% (200,000 liters) of which is destined for the organic market. Like Soya, the Togolese pineapple is mainly sent to the European organic market (which buys 60% of the West African country’s pineapple production, exported fresh and processed).
Driven mostly by the growth of the pineapple industry and a rising demand for organic products, the number of businesses processing and exporting the fruit in Togo soared by more than 60% – from 30 to 50%, over the period reviewed. The increase is also attributable to support from many partners.
In Togo, pineapple (the Cayenne and Brazza varieties) is mainly grown in the coastal and plateau regions (south and central regions). Besides juice production, it is also dried and used to make jam.