Japanese farm equipment maker to compete with Asian brands in Africa

Under the agreement, ATC Comafrique will take responsibility for the sale and servicing of Yanmar’s agricultural machinery – including tractors, combine harvesters, tillers, engines and spare parts – across 16 West African countries. The company will also provide after-sales support. Yanmar plans to begin sales in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Burkina Faso this year, with Senegal, Guinea and Mali to follow in 2026. 

Yanmar is placing particular emphasis on the rice sector. Many rice farmers in West Africa are small-scale producers who rely heavily on manual labour, with low levels of mechanisation. The company offers a wide range of machinery suited to rice farming and is considering developing financing options to expand its customer base. 

Per capita rice consumption in Africa is projected to rise from 25.1kg in 2023 to 28.5kg by 2033. By then, the continent is expected to account for 41% of global rice imports, more than 26m tonnes annually. Food security concerns, driven in part by population growth, have led to increased emphasis on rice production in West Africa, where many governments are pushing for greater self-sufficiency. 

In Côte d’Ivoire, for example, the government aims to become self-reliant in rice by 2030 under its Strategic National Rice Development Plan. Domestic production of milled rice is forecast to grow 6.7% to 1.6m tonnes in marketing year 2025/26, up from 1.5m tonnes the year before. Senegal – which currently imports about 60% of its rice – is also promoting local production through improved seed availability, greater access to equipment, expanded storage facilities, and land development targeted at rice cultivation. 

Yanmar is not the only Japanese manufacturer eyeing opportunities on the continent. Kubota, another agricultural machinery maker, recently announced plans to ramp up production of basic, low-cost tractors at its plant in India, with the aim of exporting them to African markets. The continent’s annual demand for tractors is estimated at around 24,500 units, and Kubota expects this to grow to 30,000 by the end of the decade. The company is targeting annual shipments of 4,000 tractors to Africa within five years – five times its current volume. 

 It has set a goal of doubling overseas sales of farm equipment by 2029 compared with 2023, and views Africa as a top priority region for expansion. Once its agricultural machinery business is more firmly established, the company also intends to explore opportunities to expand the presence of its other products – such as construction machinery, generators, and engines – on the continent. 

The arrival of Japanese farm equipment manufacturers in Africa trails those of India and China. The two Asian giants are stiff competitors when it comes to exporting farm equipment to Africa for decades. China exports almost US$5bn worth of agricultural machinery to Africa while India exports US$400m to Africa every year. While Chinese tractors have made significant dent in the African market Indian farm equipment brands, such as Mahindra and Escorts remain far more popular with African farmers, and enjoy a reputation of good quality, reliability and affordability. 

References 

'Grain and Feed Annual', United States Department of Agriculture, 26 April 2024 

'Africa to account for 41% of global rice imports by 2033: Report', Milling Middle East & Africa, 31 October 2024 

'Kubota to expand business in Africa, Southeast Asia from India', Nikkei Asia, 05 March 2025 

'Japanese manufacturer aims to double tractor export to Africa out of India', Nanyang Technological University, 25 March 2025 

'Côte d’Ivoire to boost milled rice production to 1.6 MMT in 2025/26', Milling Middle East & Africa, 15 April 2025