<p>As part of the fight against the flight of agricultural products to neighboring countries, the chairman of the board of directors (Pca) of the Cotton and Cashew Council, Ouattara Alain Blidia, invited cashew producers from Bouna to sell their products in Côte d'Ivoire.</p> <p>He made this appeal on Monday, October 28, 2024, in the village of Assoum 1, in the department of Bouna. And this, on the occasion of a delivery of school kits to the students of the establishment of the said village. "Here in Bouna, you are in a double border zone, that is to say the border of Ghana and that of Burkina Faso. What often happens to us is that people come to buy your products to send them to Ghana or Burkina Faso," lamented Ouattara Alain Blidia.</p> <p>For him, when these buyers leave with the products, it is the producers and Côte d'Ivoire who lose. "It is thanks to the sale of these products that we are able to help you," he said. This is why he invites them to be vigilant in order to avoid the flight of raw materials to Ghana and Burkina Faso. "We have made an estimate. Here in the Bouna area, normally the plantations that produce should be able to give us 50,000 tons of cashew nuts. But at present, you are at 23,322 tonnes,” he lamented.</p> <p>In other words, more than half of the cashew nuts produced are sold abroad. “If you want the council to be able to offer you a lot of equipment in the coming years, build hydraulic pumps, schools or health centres, you yourself will have to make the effort not to sell your products abroad,” advised Mr Ouattara.</p> <p>“We are going to put the cashew producing areas in competition because of the leak. Those who will produce and ensure that their products do not leave the country will be rewarded and their needs will be met,” promised Ouattara Alain Blidia.</p> <p>He also invited the populations of Bouna to also cultivate cotton to increase their income, because Bouna and Bondoukou are cotton-growing areas.</p> <p>Abounding in the sense, the Sub-prefect of Bouna, Koffi Boffo, representing the Prefect of the Bounkani region, Prefect of the Bouna department, Yakouba Doumbia, urged cashew producers to support the government which needs resources to finance development. "To have a quality road, modern infrastructure, you must make the effort to sell your products in Côte d'Ivoire. Do not forget that the economy of this country is based on agriculture. It is from the sale of agricultural products that the State draws its resources to finance the development of the country", insisted the Sub-prefect, encouraging them to fight against the flight of agricultural products so that the State can have the necessary resources to continue its good functioning.</p> <p>Delivery of school kits to students in the village of Assoum 1</p> <p>The chairman of the board of directors of the cotton and cashew council handed over 240 school kits to students in the village of Assoum 1 to help these students approach the school year with serenity. "It is our responsibility to support not only producers in their daily work, but also to watch over the future of their families and communities. This is why we have the honor of handing over 240 school kits to the children of producers in the Bouna region," justified Ouattara Alain Blidia.</p> <p>For him, every child, regardless of their background or situation, deserves to have the same chances of success as others. "The academic success of our children is essential to building sustainable, modern and competitive agriculture," he said.</p> <p>The Sub-Prefect of Bouna, Koffi Boffo, thanked the donor. "This donation is a real breath of fresh air for our people, especially in this year when climate change has caused huge losses for farmers. Many have lost their crops due to drought," he stressed.</p> <p>The president of Coges, Gaoussou Ouattara, expressed his gratitude to the Chairman of the Cotton and Cashew Council for his life-saving gesture.</p>