(Ecofin Agency) - The Ivorian government launched July 2, the support project for cassava and vegetable sectors’ development (PRO2M), estimated at CFA11.5 billion. This fully EU-financed initiative will focus on 21 regions in the country and will run until 2021. It is expected to generate 7,500 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs, and allow the production of additional 300,000 tons of cuttings. The project has a double goal which includes capacity building for the two sectors as well as food security strengthening. It is designed to improve mechanization, irrigation and market access for farmers. “Our goal is to train a full-fledged entrepreneur who is able to dominate the market and set price rather than going through negotiations prior to production,” explains European Union Ambassador Jean-François Valette. Côte d'Ivoire, which produced nearly 4.54 million tons of cassava in 2016, is a major tuber consumer in West Africa with a per capita average of 100-110 kg/year, according to FAO. As far as vegetable consumption is concerned, IFAD indicated that it has almost doubled in the past two decades, but the country faces a deficit in the production of main vegetables consumed, especially in the dry season.

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