Abidjan — A framework agreement relating to the development of a strategic partnership between the Ivorian government and the Office chérifien des Phosphates (OCP) was signed on Monday in Abidjan, in order to boost Ivorian agricultural competitiveness and strengthen the impact of local development policies on rural populations.

The agreement, whose signing ceremony was chaired by Ivorian Prime Minister, Patrick Achi, was initialed by the Minister of State, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Adjoumani Kouassi, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Souleymane Diarrassouba, and the Director General of OCP Africa, an OCP Group subsidiary, Mohamed Anouar Jamali.

Scheduled for an initial period of two years, this strategic partnership agreement already provides for the implementation on the ground of three specific agreements, including the rice project in the north of the country, the creation of 30 new generation agricultural service centers and the digital mapping of soil fertility.

For the Minister of State, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, the structural transformation of Ivorian agriculture will lead to an increase in agricultural productivity and farm incomes from 60% to 80% by 2030 and will also lead to an increase in value added and contribute to the creation of a significant number of jobs for the country’s youth and women.

Two other specific agreements will follow, according to Anouar Jamali. These are the dissemination of good practices to women’s cooperatives and the establishment of a mechanism for the accompaniment and support of Ivorian startups for investment in agribusiness in the country.

OCP Africa is working on the training of excellence of young people in agribusiness and agri-tech through the establishment of a “digital farmer school” backed by an experimental farm.