The agriculture sector continues to play a pivotal role in Colombia’s economic recovery, emerging as a key driver of national growth in the first quarter of 2025. According to the latest quarterly GDP report from the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE), the agriculture, livestock, hunting, forestry, and fishing sector grew by 7.1% compared to the same period in 2024 — well above the overall GDP growth of 2.7% for the same quarter.
Coffee and Aquaculture Drive Growth
Coffee led the surge, with a remarkable 31.3% increase, followed by fishing and aquaculture at 18.2%. Other subsectors showing strong performance included forestry (11.4%), livestock (8.9%), and non-coffee crops (2.4%). Notably, no division within the sector recorded a decline during this period.
Production also rose sharply for key agricultural goods such as cocoa beans (33.3%), parchment coffee (32.9%), and raw milk (12.1%), reinforcing the sector’s strategic relevance to food systems and exports, according to a press release.
Outpacing National Growth
The sector’s value-added growth was 4.4 percentage points higher than the national GDP growth, and 2.8 percentage points above its own performance during the same period in 2024 — highlighting both short-term momentum and longer-term progress.
This economic dynamism is also bolstering Colombia’s trade position. Increased production of coffee, cocoa, and palm oil has strengthened the country’s agri-food exports, helping to mitigate risks associated with global tariff tensions.
Government Commitment to Sustainable Agricultural Growth
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Martha Carvajalino, indicated that to maintain this path of growth in the agricultural sector it is essential to strengthen the bets focused on the resilience of the sector.
“We need to advance in the diversification of markets as a key to growth, as well as expand and take care of aquaculture activity, one of the most important in the first quarter of the year. The increase in coffee harvests and international prices also contributed to the growth of this subsector, which is so important for the country,” said the head of the agricultural portfolio.
He also said that “all this demonstrates not only the commitment of the National Government’s Agriculture sector to put agriculture at the center of the national economy, but the potential to demonstrate that it is possible to move towards sustainable development focused on land work and agri-food production taking care of the environment,” said Carvajalino.
A Promising Outlook for Rural Development
This strong performance adds to recent positive outcomes under the Government of Change’s rural policy, including increased agri-food exports and reduced rural unemployment. With strategic investments and sustained support, Colombia’s agriculture sector is not only fueling the economy — it’s paving the way for a more resilient and inclusive rural future.
