World Bank to Fund Agricultural Center of Excellence in Côte d'Ivoire

APA – Pierre Laporte, director of the World Bank's operations in Côte d'Ivoire, announced on Thursday his institution's funding of a Center of Agricultural Excellence, a project aimed at "helping the countries of the world -region "to develop their agricultural policy.

This project of center of excellence, beyond the focus on agriculture, should make it possible to face the research aspect and" to help the countries of the subregion to address agricultural issues, "said Pierre Laporte, during a press conference in Abidjan.

Through the projects in the sector, the World Bank wants to accelerate the modernization of the sector and "connectivity of the peasant" with e-agriculture which aims to connect farmers both virtually and by road. [19659002] This project, which was approved for this fiscal year, is expected to cost $ 70 million, or 39.39 billion CFA francs. It should also allow players in the agricultural sector to sell their crops online.

The bank, he added, has already identified more than 100 million dollars (56.26 billion CFA francs) it will put available to Côte d'Ivoire through two regional projects in the agricultural sector. These aim to address the agricultural issues of the sub-region.

The country should benefit from the extension of a regional agricultural productivity project in the West African subregion, $ 75 million or 42.18 billion CFA francs. The agriculture sector accounts for 20% of Côte d'Ivoire's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

AP / ls / APA