Aboubakar Bamba

The minister (right) and the ambassador praised the quality of relations between the two countries. (Dr) The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani, chaired yesterday at the Andrew Young Center in Plateau, the launching ceremony of the West Africa Cashew project, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (Usda) through its Food for progress program, to the tune of more than 12.65 billion CFA francs.

The initiative concerns Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Benin. Welcoming that Côte d'Ivoire was chosen to host the headquarters of the project, Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani said the impact it should have on the sector in the country. “Pro-Cashew partner growers and processing plants are expected to export approximately half of their cashew kernel production to the United States, with an estimated volume of between 5,000 and 8,000 metric tons ( MT) in 2021, for a value between 12.1 billion and almost 20 billion Fcfa (22 and 35 million dollars)”, he explained.

Stating that this value will increase steadily between 2022 and 2024, the Minister invited Dr. Adama Coulibaly, CEO of the Cashew Cotton Council and Dr. Sidiki Cissé, CEO of Anader, to work in harmony with those responsible for the project. Since Côte d'Ivoire aims to transform 50% of raw cashew nuts into almonds by 2024.

For his part, the United States Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire, Richard K. Bell, said that this project constitutes a further manifestation of the interest that the United States government attaches to human development by investing in projects that participate to achieving inclusive growth. Especially since it is a question of allowing actors in the sector to take advantage of the establishment and development of a value chain with a real impact on their living conditions.

As for Jean François Guay, project leader, he indicated that activities have already started in three of the five beneficiary countries. “We plan to move forward effectively to expand activities to the remaining two countries (Bukina Faso and Benin). Our goal is to leverage a comprehensive package of interventions to improve the cashew sector along the value chain,” he emphasized.

The minister (right) and the ambassador praised the quality of relations between the two countries. (Dr.)

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