<p></p><p>On Wednesday, August 15, 2018, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries undertook a national tour that took him to the different cashew pools. Accompanied by officials from his ministerial department, Gaston Dossouhoui went to identify potentially eligible sites that could accommodate new cashew nut processing plants to increase production. </p> <p>Increase national production to 300,000 tons and transform at least 50% of this production by 2021. This is the challenge that the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (Maep) has embarked on. taking the reins of this ministry. Achieving this goal, Gaston Dossouhoui said, requires other strategies to identify potential eligible sites for new cashew nut processing plants. It is in this logic that the Minister's exit is inscribed. After the visit of the proposed sites in Djidja in the Zou, Dassa, Savalou, Aklahounkpa, Savè and Bantè in the Hills, the Maep has made the point with the officials of the Departmental directorates of agriculture, the livestock and fishing (Ddaep) Hills, Donga and Borgou and the Territorial Agency for Agricultural Development, Atda / pole 4 whose flagship is the cashew nut. </p><p>During this working session held at the headquarters of the Atda4 in Parakou, Thursday, August 16, 2018, the authority did not mince words. He reminded his colleagues what they should not lose sight of. "We are engaged in an agricultural development process and must have strategies to achieve it. Cashew, one of the key sectors alongside cotton, can not grow if we do not tackle value chains. Our goal by 2021 is to produce 300,000 tons at least against 140,000 tons today. We are giving ourselves the challenge of transforming at least 50% of this production against 10% today, "he said. According to him, the State has identified a foreign partner who is ready to install factories with global capacities of at least 120,000 tons in the different cashew basins. "We are committed to creating a second carrier sector alongside cotton to boost the national economy," said Gaston Dossouhoui.<br></p><p></p>