Togo produced 287,000 tons of soybeans in 2025, up from an earlier level of 150,000 tons, industry officials said on Thursday, November 5. The country is targeting 300,000 tons for the 2026–2027 growing season, with growing attention to domestic processing and export opportunities.
The figures were presented at an industry event in Lomé organized by Conseil interprofessionnel de la filière soja (CIFS), Togo's soybean industry council. Discussions covered organic production, financing, exports and domestic processing.
Industry representatives are also seeking to raise crop yields. Koriko Mounirou, chairman of the CIFS board, said the industry aims to increase yields to 1.8 tons per hectare, compared with roughly one ton currently. Proposed measures include greater mechanization, improved access to agricultural inputs and technical assistance, with support from Germany's international development agency, GIZ.
Soybean production has grown considerably over the past decade. Output was below 25,000 tons in 2015 but had already exceeded 260,000 tons during the 2024–2025 growing season, according to CIFS data.
The industry is exploring new export markets amid challenging international market conditions and difficulties finding buyers. A phytosanitary protocol signed with China in October 2026 establishes the conditions under which Togolese soybeans can enter the Chinese market. In 2023, Togo exported approximately 293 tons of soybeans to China.
The agreement with China follows the introduction of an export tax on soybeans in January 2026, a measure intended to encourage more domestic processing. Nearly 80,000 households are involved in Togo's soybean industry.
R.E.D