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Vivrier: Abidjan is courting Italian investors
Ivory Coast intends to make food crops a real magnet for capital. The Minister Delegate in charge of Food Production, Bernard Kini Comoé, chaired, on behalf of Minister Bruno Nabagné Koné, a round table with 24 Italian companies, at the Azalaï hotel. Some 16 opportunities were presented, including 13 in rice farming. The country wants to reduce its dependence on imported rice, the cost of which is around 600 billion CFA francs per year. The flagship project concerns the development of 35,000 irrigated hectares in Kossou and Buyo, estimated at 355 billion CFA francs. Investors can also position themselves in agricultural mechanization, seed production, rehabilitation of rice areas, storage and modernization of processing units.Market gardening and tubers complete the offering, 2 vegetable conservation and processing platforms in Abengourou and Daloa, as well as the industrial production of cassava starch and local flours. To facilitate financing, the Italian credit insurer SACE has mentioned guarantee mechanisms. The Government has said it is prepared to support investors' efforts and encourage partnerships between public and private. It remains to transform these intentions into concrete investments.
