AFRICA'S NO.1 FOOD, BEVERAGE & MILLING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

World Bank to finance smallholder farmers and agri-enterprises in Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire

Jun 9, 2021Jun 9, 2021 Editor

WEST AFRICA – The World Bank has approved new financing through the International Development Association (IDA), to increase productivity and market access for smallholder farmers and agri-enterprises in Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire. In Liberia, the bank is injecting US$55 million credit financing into the Rural Economic Transformation Project (RETRAP), focusing on improved production of cassava, rubber, poultry, and pigs. This new financing targets 60,000 persons, 50 percent of whom are women, mainly smallholder farmers and agri-entrepreneurs (private agribusiness investors, cooperatives, and SME processing or providing other services to agri-food systems)…

ABC Fund supports three agribusiness ventures in West Africa with working capital

May 29, 2021May 29, 2021 Editor

WEST AFRICA – The Agri-Business Capital Fund (ABC Fund), managed by Bamboo Capital Partners, Injaro and Agriterra, has provided loans to three agri-businesses in West Africa, to support their working capital needs and expansion strategies. The backing from the blended-finance impact fund, will also enable the farmers to secure market access in their respective sectors and foster higher rural employment opportunities. The ABC Fund has provided a loan of EUR450,000 (US$546,421) to Kaworo based in Burkina Faso, a producer of grains (mainly maize, millet, sesame, cowpeas and sorghum) and seeds,…

ITFC, OCP Africa partner to build Côte d’Ivoire’s rice value chain, Malawi government plans US$40m rice scheme

Apr 7, 2021Apr 7, 2021 Editor

CÔTE D’IVOIRE – The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) has partnered with OCP Africa to support 20,000 rice farmers in Côte d’Ivoire’s agriculture value chain, to boost local agricultural production, minimize exposure to imports and advance food security in the country. The initiative will be undertaken trough OCP Africa’s Agribooster Program with participation from the Arab Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) Program, a multi-partner program led by ITFC. The agreement was signed by Dr. Mohamed Anouar Jamali, Chief Executive Officer of OCP Africa, a subsidiary of OCP Group, and Eng.…

West Africa to earn US$1.5 billion from sale of cashew, spearheaded by new USDA, TechnoServe programs

Mar 1, 2021Mar 1, 2021 Editor

WEST AFRICA – TechchnoServe, an international non-profit organization has received two grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support the development of the cashew sector in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria. The support will enable the expansion of the BeninCajù project in Benin and launch of the new Prosper Cashew program in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria, which will help drive change across this important value chain, benefitting thousands of farmers and others employed in the sector. According to TechnoServe, the five-year Promoting Opportunities for Cashew Processing…

Child labor remains a persistent challenge in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana – NORC

Oct 28, 2020Oct 28, 2020 Editor

WEST AFRICA – The multi-billion cocoa industry which is of significant economic importance to both the producing and consuming countries has been faced with a myriad of challenges, with the plague of child labour topping the list. A recent report by a research group from the University of Chicago know as NORC, has revealed that 38 percent of children in Côte d’Ivoire and 55 percent of children in Ghana living in agricultural households were engaged in child labour in cocoa production during the 2018-19 season. Amid a 62% increase in…

Ivory Coast launches new hydro-agricultural dam to boost water supply for farming

Sep 15, 2020Sep 15, 2020 Editor

IVORY COAST – The Ivorian government has launched the construction of a dam in the council of Koro in the northwest region of Ivory Coast to boost water supply for agricultural activities in the region. The foundation stone for the dam was laid by the Ivorian Minister of Budget and State Portfolio, Moussa Sanogo, and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani marking the start of construction work on the dam on the Yirima River. According to a report by Afrki21 the water reservoir located on the…

Barry Callebaut boosts cocoa sourcing transparency in West Africa

Sep 7, 2020Sep 8, 2020 Editor

WEST AFRICA – Barry Callebaut, a leading international cocoa processors and chocolate manufacturers has announced that it has reached a new milestone in its plan to build a sustainable cocoa supply chain by disclosing its direct cocoa suppliers in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Cameroon. According to the map it has launched, it shows the location of cooperatives and buying stations where the company is directly sourcing cocoa. Each pin point on the map details the geographical location, cooperative or district name, certification scheme and the number of farmers Barry Callebaut…

OCP signs pact with Cote d’Ivoire to make it sustainable in rice production

Sep 7, 2020Sep 7, 2020 Editor

COTE D’IVOIRE – The government of Cote d’Ivoire has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with OCP Group, to revive rice production in the country. Present at the signing of the agreement was Cote d’Ivoire’s Minister of Rice promotion, Gaoussou Toure, the representative of OCP Africa, Mohamed Benzekri, as well as Morocco’s Ambassador in Abidjan, Abdelmalek Kettani. According to reports by Morocco World, the agreement intends to boost the implementation of the rice strategy in Cote d’Ivoire, aiming for the country to be self-sufficient before 2025 and become one of…

Nestlé invests US$2.6m to conserve and rehabilitate Cavally forest reserve in Côte d’Ivoire

Jul 20, 2020Jul 20, 2020 Editor

CÔTE D’IVOIRE – The Nestlé group has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Water and Forests of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire for the implementation of the CHF 3.34 million (US$3.5m) project aimed to conserve and rehabilitate the Classified Forest of Cavally, of which Nestlé is contributing CHF 2.5 million (US$2.6m). The agreement was signed by Mr. Alain-Richard DONWAHI, Minister of Water and Forests and Mr. Thomas CASO, Managing Director of Nestlé Côte d’Ivoire, in the presence via video-conference of Mr. Magdi BATATO, Executive Vice-President, Director of…

Nestlé donates ventilators in Côte d’Ivoire, joining in the fight against COVID-19

May 26, 2020Jun 15, 2020 Editor

CÔTE D’IVOIRE – Nestlé Côte d’Ivoire has donated two ventilators to the Infectious and Tropical Disease Service unit of the Treichville University Hospital, where critical COVID-19 patients are referred to in Côte d’Ivoire heeding to the call of national solidarity in fighting the pandemic. The idea spearheaded by Dr. Patricia Amondji, Dr. Marie-Claude Kouassi and Dr. Eric Bouaffon, all doctors at Nestlé Côte d’Ivoire will complement the 18 ventilators ordered by the government in addition to the four already available in this West African country of 25 million inhabitants. “We…