The Agri-Park initiative will help integrate agriculture and community while ensuring the transfer of farming techniques and skills
Image: West African nation Benin has collaborated with AGCO on Agri-Park project. Photo: courtesy of AGCO.
Agricultural solutions provider AGCO has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the West African nation Benin for the Agri-Park project.
Benin, which is bordered by Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Niger, includes a121km-long coastline.
The company has signed an agreement with Benin’s investment arm, the Agency for Promotion of Investments and Exports (APIEX), to oversee the financing, implementation and operation of a 5,000-hectare Agri-Park project.
According to the company, the deal reflects the intent to establish a long-term public-private partnership, which will set the standard for an agricultural cluster in Africa.
AGCO senior vice president and Asia Pacific and Africa general manager Gary Collar said: “The commitment to transform the agriculture sector of Benin into a regional and continental powerhouse by His Excellency President Talon, clearly indicates that this nation is ready to accelerate its economic growth and create prosperity for its citizens.”
Agri-Park concept to create high-value jobs and encourage the initialisation of satellite industries
The objective of the company regarding the development of Agri-Park integrated agricultural centres is to support the achievement of food security on the African continent.
Agri-Park initiative is framed to incorporate agriculture and community, as well as ensuring the transfer of farming techniques and skills.
The initiative will also help improve crop production and storage and add further value in related activities such as poultry and egg production.
AGCO Agri-Park concept’s major goal is to provide high-value jobs and encourage the formation of satellite industries, including agricultural machinery workshops and outlets offering affordable farm supplies.
In a statement, Benin president Patrice Talon said: “Our Government’s Action Programme for 2016 – 2021, ‘Revealing Benin’ delivers a strong message of hope for the future.
“It aims to create an environment that embraces the talent and dynamism of the Beninese people in order to revive our development through a scale of investment never before seen in the country and that is designed to boost employment, improve public well-being, create wealth and raise Benin’s international profile.”
AGCO is involved in the designing, manufacturing and distribution of agricultural equipment and solutions. Challenger, Fendt, GSI, Massey Ferguson and Valtra are the major product brands of the company.