The president of the Economic Interest Group of Buyers and Producers of Cashew from Zanzan (GIE-APAZ), Ouattara Sotigui, has decided to intensify awareness of the fight against illicit trafficking in cashew nuts in the regions of Gontougo and Bounkani. During a meeting organized on Monday, September 27, 2021 in Bondoukou (North-East) with the prefect of the region and the department of Bondoukou and in the presence of the regional delegate of the Cotton and Cashew Council, Mr. Ouattara indicated that it is important to educate and train buyers in good commercial practice, economic and fiscal citizenship. For the president of GIE-APAZ, this awareness will extend throughout the Zanzan district and will restore the confidence of exporters with a view to their return to stores that have been abandoned for several years. The objective is to contribute to the restructuring of cashew nut cooperatives which will facilitate the delivery of their products to Abidjan and not to neighboring countries. Mr. Ouattara underlined that this fight against illicit trafficking involves the signing of contracts with groups of exporters in order to allow GIE APAZ to have substantial funding in order to remove cashew products from the hands of peasants in the country. price set by the State of Côte d'Ivoire. "This will thus contribute to improving the living conditions of our producers in the short term," he said. In May 2021, the Cotton and Cashew Council had offered rolling stock to the East Securing Battalion (BSE) comprising two 4X4 type vehicles and four motorcycles handed over by the Minister of State, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani. This donation was intended to strengthen the operational capacities of the battalion in its fight against the illicit trafficking of cashew nuts to neighboring countries.