BURKINA FASO – Burkina Faso has launched the construction of an 8.5 billion CFA francs (US$14.4 million) pasta manufacturing unit in Koulpélé in the Toecé commune.
Prime Minister Apollinaire Kyelèm de Tambèla inaugurated the project on September 26, 2024.
This ambitious venture, named Anadolu Industrie, is a result of a partnership between Burkina Faso’s government, Turkey, and Qatar. It is expected to produce 100 tons of pasta daily, in five different varieties, over a six-month construction period.
In addition to pasta production, the facility will include a flour mill with a capacity of 100 tons per day, supplied by local wheat producers cultivating 2,000 hectares of land.
The dual-purpose project reflects Burkina Faso’s larger strategy to boost local agricultural production and enhance food security, reducing its dependence on imported wheat products.
Since 2023, Burkina Faso has been working to revitalize its wheat sector. Last April, authorities announced a forecast of 250 tons of wheat from 125 hectares for the 2023-2024 campaign, yielding approximately 2 tons per hectare.
Although this yield is modest compared to Egypt’s 6 tons per hectare, it surpasses the figures for regional peers like Nigeria, Morocco, and Algeria, where yields range from 1 to 1.6 tons per hectare.
The Burkinabé government is now setting its sights on a more ambitious goal. By 2025, it plans to cultivate 1,500 hectares of wheat, aiming to produce 6,500 tons annually. To support this goal, the government has temporarily suspended wheat flour imports, encouraging local mills to source from domestic growers.
The development comes after the country recently launched an infant flour manufacturing unit, Moulin de Transformation Agroalimentaire (MTA), in Ouagadougou, the capital city.
The new plant, opened on September 24, 2024, under the leadership of Agriculture Minister Ismaël Sombié, is poised to enhance food security and stimulate economic growth by promoting the processing of local cereals into high-demand products like infant flour.
The MTA facility, headed by Director Mrs. Ingue Iteka, boasts a production capacity of 12 tons of infant flour per day. This is expected to significantly contribute to the nutritional needs of children while supporting the country’s goal of reducing reliance on imports.
According to Sombié, the factory will source raw materials such as cereals, soybeans, millet, legumes, and oilseeds from local farmers and peasant organizations, providing a stable market for agricultural producers across the country.
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