<p></p><p>Some 7,500 participants from 37 countries attended , from Thursday to Saturday, the third edition of the International Cashew Processing Equipment and Technology Show (Sietta) held at the Treichville Palace of Culture in Paris. Abidjan. On the sidelines of the show was also the Twelfth Annual Conference of the African Cashew Alliance (ACA). At the heart of the theme of both the industry at the No. 1 Africa Cashew that Sietta: local transformation generating added value opportunities for youth.</p> <p> A "transition Sietta" </p><p>The transformation of the walnuts trampled, could only note the Ivorian Vice President, Daniel Kablan Duncan, at the opening of the Salon. Today, in Côte d'Ivoire, only 10% of the crop is still processed today, which in mid-season 2018/19 reaches 736 000 tonnes (t), 78 000 t still to be harvested. The goal, he said, is to achieve a transformation rate of 50% by 2020. In just over a year. </p><p>Little consolation, Côte d'Ivoire is not alone on the continent to know this state of affairs: Africa accounts for more than 90% of the world supply of raw nuts, but transforms only 6% against 120 in South America and more than 220% for Asia, said Friday Adama Coulibaly, Director General of the Council-Cashew and General Commissioner of Sietta. </p><p>That said, things could move. The project promoting the competitiveness of the value chain of cashew (CAPS) has been dynamic this year by the loan of $ 200 million over five years (2018-2023) of the World Bank ( read our information Coup inch to cashew nut processing in Ivory Coast ). As a reminder, this support project for the PPCA is expected to benefit approximately 225,000 producers as well as businesses, from small processing units to industrial plants with annual capacity of 3,000 to 10,000 tonnes, and small businesses. and medium-sized enterprises engaged in the storage of raw cashew nuts. </p><p>Quota policy </p><p>At the same time, very concrete steps are being taken by the Cotton and Cashew Council to accelerate processing. Firstly, production quotas reserved for local processing are decided: for 2018, exporters will have to justify having sold 15% of their harvest to local operators, before obtaining the authorization to export. Secondly, a guarantee mechanism is put in place, through a deposit with the banks, according to the amount of the loan, to facilitate the access of the processors to the financing for the acquisition of the raw material. </p><p>Thirdly, a mechanism for regulating the selling price of raw nuts to processing units has been put in place: above CFAF 850 ​​per kilogram of raw nuts, the difference is subsidized by the State through the Single Exit Right (DUS) on raw nut export. Fourthly, as of 2019, four industrial zones in Bouaké (center), Korhogo (north), Bondoukou (east) and Séguéla (north-west) will be "serviced, stabilized"and "available" for processing. </p><p> The emergence of local equipment manufacturers </p><p> " The emergence of a processing industry must be accompanied by a local production of equipment industry, " says Adama Coulibaly. And that's why the manager welcomed the growing number of local equipment manufacturers present Siett this year, numbering 17 out of twenty present against 6 out of 29 in the previous edition. </p><p>" Côte d'Ivoire's determination to move towards transformation is not compatible with a policy based solely on imported exogenous equipment." The success of our transformation policy must be supported by a policy of encouraging foreign investment. emergence of a local equipment manufacturing industry and the emergence of new trades with the technical capacity to maintain and repair machinery and other production tools, which is why we consider the Sietta 2018 is a transition Sietta.</p><p>From the banker to the nurseryman</p> <p>As for the financing, reports Fraternité Matin , "cost-shared subsidies " are put in place, explained Adam Coulibaly who went into details before 300 producers gathered verndredi in Sietta .</p><p>Three wickets are planned, reports Fraternité Matin : A wicket that intends to strengthen the guarantees of SMEs / SMIs to put into service 20 warehouses built by 20 cooperatives with a storage capacity of 20 000 t, subsidized up to FCFA 150 million; Window B, focusing on matching grants from SMEs / SMIs and professional agricultural organizations (Opa), enabling the rehabilitation of 320 small warehouses at a cost of FCFA 125 million; Window C, which provides grants for micro-projects, especially for women and young people. </p><p>The National Cashew Research Program (CASN) will focus on increasing yields, which in 2018 is 524 kg / ha. However, with the use of high-yielding genotypes, it is possible to reach 1800 to 2200 kg / ha, it was specified. It is also necessary to "support" the agents of the Anader on the ground, reports stillFraternité Matin, theNationalAgencyof support to rural developmenthaving already been recruited for 2019: nurserymen, certifying agents, deliverymen but also new trades. At least 300,000 producers will be trained, including 15% women and 32,500 orchards rehabilitated, says our colleague.</p><p>Finally, nothing is used to develop a sector if we can not evacuate the goods. Also, 21,000 km of rural roads will be rehabilitated or maintained, promised the manager. </p><p>It should be recalled that Ivorian cashew production reached 711 236 t in 2017, or 23% of world production, with exports amounting to $ 800 million, the cashew being the third export product of Côte d'Ivoire after cocoa and refined petroleum products, far ahead of rubber, cotton and coffee. Throughout West Africa in 2017, production was 1.612 Mt.<br></p><p></p>