Abidjan – Moroccan OCP Africa and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), signed on Tuesday a partnership agreement to boost the Agribooster rice program in Côte d’Ivoire.

Launched in 2018, this program aims to support rice farmers and improve agricultural value chains in this West African country.

The Agribooster is expected to benefit approximately 20,000 rice farmers and will provide them with all the conditions necessary to increase their production and incomes, in particular by the provision of fertilizers and hybrid seeds, training in good agricultural practices and soil fertility as well as market access, according to OCP Africa.

Since its implementation, Agribooster has benefited more than 630,000 small-scale farmers in Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, with an increase in their production of up to 40% for the main farmers”.

Spending each year around 300 billion FCFA to make up for its deficit included in the range of 1 million and 1.5 million tonnes per year, Côte d’Ivoire has set for itself the ambition of becoming self-sufficient in rice by 2025 and an exporter by 2030.

From September 2020 to January 2021, many agreements were signed between the Ivorian government and several organizations and actors in the private sector, including OCP Africa, Callivoire and FAO.