Sao tome and principe Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in sao tome and principe, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Select Country Guide
Agricultural Sectors and Agribuiness
Last published date:

The agricultural sector in STP is small but vital, with cocoa production accounting for about 54 percent of the total exports in 2021. Other exported agriculture products are palm oil, chocolate, pepper, coconut oil and coffee. There are currently two companies exporting chocolate to international markets, including the United States. Tropical flowers are also produced in country and are currently being sold to Europe, although in very small quantities. The airport lacks adequate cold storage facilities to maximize these exports.

Palm oil is emerging as the new main export product. A Belgium investment AGRIPALMA is developing more than 1000 hectares of land in the southern part of São Tomé. Palm oil now accounts for more than 30 percent of the country’s exports.

Agricultural production has been declining due to market size and profitability challenges. However, there is still great potential in the agricultural products market because the land is fertile and the weather conducive to the harvesting of tropical products such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, peppers and trees.

Most of STP’s farming opportunities are untapped. There is no precedent for mass production, but gourmet and high-market value produce thrive in STP. 

The emerging cooperatives for organic cocoa have the potential to expand production, to increase the incomes of a significant number of Sao Tomean farmers, and to improve the country’s economy.

Products such as organic coffee and cocoa command a premium because of their perceived high quality. In addition, a number of local products such as jackfruit, guava, pineapple, bananas, breadfruit, cocoyam, cassava can be processed with added value to serve a niche market.

×

Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility