The economic outlook note N ° 1 on the cereal sub-sector in West Africa was validated this Thursday, February 15, 2018, in Lomé, during a meeting organized by the West African Cereal Network (ROAC) with financial support from the Global Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
This first issue of the cereal sub-sector economic outlook presents a global synthesis of cereal producers in the West African sub-region, climate trends (Meteo, Agrhymet, Cilss) and analyzes of the rice, corn, millet and sorghum.
Contributions, contributions and amendments from the participants of the actors concerned, enabled the validation of this document of eight (8) pages which wants to be a tool of up-to-date, reliable, complete and neutral information that the ROAC proposes to make available. cereal players in the sub-regional space for the efficient management of their business.
According to the ROAC Executive Secretary, Mr. Moïse Koffi DJADE, “ROAC has been working for almost two (02) years to publish monthly through its Market Information System, the economic analysis bulletin ” Les Céréaliers ” which uses an innovative approach to economic intelligence based on the triangulation of information from both the cereal players themselves (producers, processors and traders), public institutions managing agricultural statistics, and organizations private national or international (…). Through the evaluation surveys of stakeholders receiving and regularly using the ROAC monthly bulletin, it was felt the need to also offer an economic outlook note analyzing trends in the cereal sub-sector from West Africa to these different actors. This is the reason for this very first issue of the ROAC economic outlook note on the cereal sub-sector in West Africa, “he said.
According to Mr. Moïse Koffi DJADE, for the structured grain trade to work, the actors need reliable, useful information and a favorable political environment, which unites the rules of the game and which enables market forces. of supply and demand to support a transparent pricing process. “This conjuncture note undoubtedly has a huge advantage for all parties involved because it will allow the various players to better manage price risk in the corn, rice, millet and sorghum sectors in West Africa”, reassures- he.
The ROAC conjuncture note will help to help cereal players in their activities. Food and nutrition security institutions will find elements of analysis that can contribute to the achievement of their respective objectives.
It should be noted that this first economic outlook was produced at the end of last year using a participatory approach.
The West African Cereal Network (ROAC) is an organization bringing together the inter-professional cereal committees of 09 countries in the West African sub-region (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo ). These committees bring together the families of players in the cereal value chains, notably producers, processors and traders. Created in 2013 by the actors themselves with the support of USAID and ECOWAS, this network works on the corn, rice, millet and sorghum sectors. Its mission is to facilitate the creation of an environment conducive to the free exchange of grain and to promote a structured grain trade in West Africa.