With the acquisition of Ivorian mango exporter Vergers du Bandama, France’s Omer-Decugis & Cie has further bolstered its position as the leading exporter of West African mangoes
Last month, French exotics importer-exporter Omer-Decugis & Cie acquired the entire share capital of Côte d’Ivoire’s Vergers du Bandama, which specialises in producing, packing and exporting fresh mangoes.
Vergers du Bandama is based in Sinématiali, in the north of the West African country, and is already a long-term exclusive partner of Omer-Decugis & Cie. Last year, the company exported over 1,500 tonnes of fresh mangoes to France and other European markets.
“The acquisition of Vergers du Bandama, one of the most efficient export companies in Côte d’Ivoire, strengthens our group’s position in the African mango market and consolidates our presence in West Africa,” said chairman and chief executive officer Vincent Omer-Decugis. “This operation is fully aligned with our strategy of controlling the upstream part of our value chain.”
To ensure a smooth transition, the group said the previous owners of Vergers du Bandama would remain involved in managing operations for the next two years.
Through its subsidiary SIIM, Omer-Decugis & Cie is the leading exporter of mangoes from West Africa, with a presence in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso and Senegal. According to the group, it has an estimated market share of 30 per cent of the fresh mangoes exported to Europe during the African season between March and July.
In 2025, it said, the group exported more than 13,000 tonnes of African mangoes by sea, with a further 500 tonnes going by air. “The group supplements its sourcing for the rest of the year with imports from Spain, Israel, Brazil and Peru, for a total annual volume of more than 25,000 tonnes,” the company stated, “making Omer-Decugis & Cie one of Europe’s leading mango distributors.”
