Moroccan phosphate and fertilizer giant OCP Group will launch three projects to help strengthen the agriculture sector in Cote d’Ivoire.

On Monday in Abidjan, the OCP Group and the government of Cote d’Ivoire signed a memorandum of understanding to develop partnerships to improve the agriculture sector in the West African country.

As part of the partnership, the countries will work on a rice-growing program in Cote d’Ivoire, as well as setting up 30 new agricultural sectors and creating a project to digitally map soil fertility.

The structural transformation of the Ivorian agriculture sector will “contribute to raising productivity and increase agriculture income,” Cote d’Ivoire Minister of Agriculture Koumane Kouassi who signed the agreement, said on Monday.

The country’s   Minister of Trade and Industry  Souleymane Diarrassouba also signed the agreement, alongside OCP Africa General Director Mohamed Anwar Jamali.

Cote d’Ivoire’s Prime Minister  Patrick Achi chaired the signing ceremony.

The minister forecasts a 60 to 80 %  increase in agriculture incomes in Cote d’Ivoire by 2030.

The structural transformation will also lead to an increase in the added value of the sector, contributing to creating job opportunities for youth and women in Cote d’Ivoire, he said.

For his part, OCP Africa General Director vowed that two agreements will follow the partnership signed between the group and Cote d’Ivoire.

The agreements will look at the best ways to help boost women’s cooperatives and create ways to support Ivorian startups to invest in agricultural businesses in the country.

“OCP Africa is working to implement high-level training for young people in the field of agricultural business and agricultural technology through the establishment of a digital agricultural school linked to an experimental farm,” Jamali said.

The OCP Africa official emphasized that the school will be the first “nucleus” of the Mohammed VI  Polytechnic University in Cote d’Ivoire.

It will be the subject of the sixth agreement between OCP and Cote d’Ivoire, he said.

The signing of the partnership agreement is part of the implementation of the Second National Program for Agricultural Investment. The program is part of the Cote d’Ivoire 2030 strategic plan and the Cote d’Ivoire Solidarity community project to boost sustainable development in the country.

OCP in Africa

The OCP Group has been strengthening its presence across Africa to help governments boost agriculture sectors.

The group is present in 16 countries with 12 subsidiaries.

OCP’s mission in Cote d’Ivoire is to help Ivorian farmers informed about the impacts of fertilizer on their agriculture products.

“To make this a reality, OCP Africa actively engages a diverse selection of partners – including African agricultural coalitions and local farmers and distributors – to improve the country’s infrastructure,” according to the OCP Africa website.

OCP’s subsidiary in Cote d’Ivoire is focusing on developing a fertilizer “blending facility and regularly creates educational programming for Ivorian farmers.”

The OCP Group is also a key contributor to preserving food security on the continent.

The group is putting food security at the heart of its mission.

Through several initiatives, the company is doubling its efforts to contribute to facing the challenges of population growth, climate change to preserve the agriculture sector.

OCP’s initiatives include helping small farmers with resources, contributing to their agriculture inputs, in addition to access to technical, commercial, and agronomic support.

The access to OCP’s venues secure fair market prices and increased access to products during scarcity seasons as well as building “strong distribution networks by increasing the involvement of new players, such as wholesalers and retailers,” according to the group.