Cote d’Ivoire, Morocco to train 20,000 Ivorian farmers

The Arab African Trade Bridges (AATB) program has concluded in Rabat, Morocco, a partnership with OCP Africa to develop the skills of 20,000 Ivorian farmers through its program called “Agribooster.”

AATB is a multi-agency program run by the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC).

According to a note sent to APA, this agreement, which will benefit 20,000 Ivorian farmers, aims to support Ivorian rice farmers and improve agricultural value chains in the country.

“The ITFC grant for the OCP Africa Agribooster Program in Cote d’Ivoire aims to minimize the economic impact of Covid-19 by maintaining global food supply chains, but also by improving agricultural value chains of the country, especially during difficult circumstances,” said Hani Salem Sonbol, ITFC Director-General.

For his part, Dr Mohamed Anouar Jamali, CEO of OCP Africa argued that “the Agribooster Program is a good example of an initiative aimed at supporting African food systems to become more resilient.”

OCP Africa’s Agribooster Program is dedicated to the sustainable development of agriculture. It allows in-depth training in good agricultural practices and regular monitoring throughout the year.

Across the African continent, the note concluded, this program has reached more than 630,000 smallholder farmers in four countries (Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire), with an increase in their yield of up to 40 per cent for the main operators.

The AATB is a multi-donor, multi-country and multi-organization program, which aims to promote and increase trade and investment between African and Arab countries. As for OCP Africa, which is a subsidiary of the OCP Group, its mission is to contribute to the development of integrated agricultural ecosystems in Africa.

Suzan O/APA