Country Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso and Agricultural Investment

Between 1994 and 2009, structural reforms, sound macroeconomic policies, and steady investment enabled Burkina Faso to sustain significant growth rates and maintain relative macro-economic stability. In 2010 the government adopted a five-year Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Sustainable Development (SCADD) centred on promising areas and value chains for the acceleration of growth and job creation through private investments and diversified high value production. Bagré was identified as a priority growth pole due to its high potential for agribusiness, horticulture, livestock, fish farming, and staple crops production.

The Bagré Growth Pole

Bagré Growth Pole Project is managed by a national committee chaired by the Prime Minister, and structured as an autonomous public-private society. This body leads dialogue with donors and investors, and ensures it contributes to national development goals through growth, jobs, increased incomes and stronger communities.  A partnership between Burkina Faso and World Bank provides critical mass of support to boost the development of the zone, including $134 million of investment between 2011 and 2017.

Bagré provides good investment opportunities due to:

  • Irrigable land: Excellent water availability and 58,000 ha with primary irrigation network.
  • Secured land: Customary land rights formally cleared and land ready to be allocated through long-term leases to private investors/ contractors.
  • Existing models: Small and medium agribusinesses engaged in rice, horticulture, fish, and animal food production.
  • Good infrastructure: $200m invested in dam, irrigation canals, hydropower, and road network linked to regional markets
  • Good Institutional Policies: Burkina Faso is among the 10 best reformers in world for doing business. This includes open policy toward FDI, fiscal incentives, and favourable tax regime.

Investment Opportunities

Domestic and international investors are engaging actively, and in September 2012 many declared their concrete intentions within a Country Cooperation Framework. The Country Cooperation Framework also lists commitments from the government and donors for public investment and policy reforms. Download these here in English and French.

Numerous investment opportunities exist. Target commodities depend on investors and opportunities and may include:

  • Rice
  • Sesame
  • Maize
  • Cowpea
  • Horticulture
  • Cotton
  • Livestock
  • Fish farming

An Investment Brochure prepared for the Grow Africa Investment Forum outlines business cases for 2 immediate opportunities:

  • Rice processing
  • 100ha Horticultural Production Farm

Private sector partners are sought from a continuum of small to big operators:

  • Big (national or international): Open markets, technology transfer
  • Medium: to meet demand of domestic investors;
  • Emerging small farmers: able to produce for the market (with support for professionalization)

Further Information

About Bagré Growth Pole:

 

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