Guinea: a growing potato value chain, still to be structured

In brief

• Potato is emerging as a growing value chain in Guinea, led by the Mamou and Labé regions.
• Domestic demand is rising, driven by urbanisation and changing food habits.
• Growth is still held back by four bottlenecks: seed, storage, transport and local processing.
• Côte d’Ivoire opens up a promising regional outlet.
• A new COLEAD market profile maps the way from a growing value chain to a better-organised one.

Why this study?

Developed under the Agriéco project — funded by Enabel and implemented by COLEAD in consortium with iCRA — the study updates the analysis of Guinea’s potato value chain and identifies concrete pathways to strengthen market access, resilience and value creation. It comes at a pivotal moment: production is rising and domestic demand is shifting, but the sector still has several structural bottlenecks to clear — inputs, storage, transport, market organisation and processing.

This work is led by COLEAD’s Market Insights department, which produces and publishes market studies and profiles to inform value chain stakeholders’ decisions and facilitate access to new market opportunities.

Three priority levers

Secure the inputs. Dependence on imported seed potatoes and their high cost weigh heavily. Producing and conserving seed locally would help cut costs, smooth supply and strengthen producers’ autonomy.

Invest in storage and logistics. Without suitable capacity, producers often sell just after harvest, when prices are lowest. Storage platforms, cold rooms and better-organised transport would reduce losses and stabilise prices.

Structure outlets and processing. Domestic demand is growing and regional opportunities exist, notably in Côte d’Ivoire — provided supply becomes more regular and reliable. At the same time, chips processing offers a realistic way to create more value locally, including from other Guinean tubers.

The challenge

Moving from a growing value chain to a better-organised one: able to secure producer incomes, meet urban and regional demand, and create more added value in Guinea.

To go further

The full study details production, outlets, logistics infrastructure, processing opportunities and operational recommendations. Read it here:

Potato Market Profile in Guinea

The Agriéco project, implemented in Guinea with financial support from the Belgian Development Agency (ENABEL). This publication was produced with financial support from ENABEL. Its contents are the sole responsibility of COLEAD and cannot in any way be considered to reflect the official position of ENABEL.