The country, Africa’s second largest producer of palm oil, recently launched a major initiative aimed at increasing the productivity of village plantations, with the aim of improving the competitiveness of the sector.
The Minister of Youth Promotion, Professional Integration and Civic Service, Mamadou Touré, announced the launch of the Ivory Palm Program (PPI) in Yamoussoukro on June 20, 2024. This program aims to strengthen the productivity of farmers and agricultural businesses, as part of the Competitive Value Chains for Employment and Economic Transformation (PCCET) Project.
This program, which targets the improvement of several agricultural value chains, including that of oil palm, aims to support small producers. More than 1,500 young people from more than 100 oil palm production locations were trained by experts for sustainable and responsible production.
These young people are called upon to technically supervise 30,000 producers, thus promoting good practices including financial management and the use of organic fertilizers. Mamadou Touré stressed that these young people represent the priority and the future of the country, indicating that the government believes in their potential and invests massively in their success.
Arthur Coulibaly, PCCET coordinator, explained that the PPI meets the development needs of small oil palm farms, often called village farms, by reducing the productivity gap observed between the latter and industrial plantations.
The program is aligned with PCCET objectives to develop the agricultural value chain in major oil palm production areas across the country. Arthur Coulibaly expressed his satisfaction with the first results of the PPI drawn from the training of 1,500 young people.
The PPI, implemented in collaboration with Neper Ventures, saw its co-founders Ange Pété and Issa Sidibé participate in the launch ceremony. In addition, civic training was provided to young people at the Zambakro Armed Forces Academy, and an agreement between the Youth Employment Agency and Neper Ventures was concluded to promote training and professional integration in the agricultural sector.
Funded by the World Bank, PCCET received support from Rob Swinkels, Coordinator of Macroeconomic Programs, Private and Financial Sector, Governance and Poverty at the World Bank.
