Togo Greenlights CFA9.5 billion Plan to Develop its Pineapple Industry

Public Management

Tuesday, 18 July 2023 11:37

Togo Greenlights CFA9.5 billion Plan to Develop its Pineapple Industry

(Togo First) - Togo has just validated a five-year investment plan going from 2024 to 2028 for its pineapple industry. The strategy, conceived in May 2023, is valued at CFA9.5 billion.

Goals set in the plan include doubling the national output, from 44,391 t to 88,782 t by 2028, and boosting local processing from 35% of the production to 75% by 2028.

Funds needed for the project should come from the State, the Interprofessional Council of Pineapple in Togo (CIFAN), as well as from technical and financial partners.

The plan will focus on three key pillars: promoting sustainable cultivation methods, improving local farmers’ access to the market, and improving the institutional framework and governance in the sector.

"The pineapple value chain is still underdeveloped, but it offers interesting prospects for Togo's agricultural economy provided that the players mobilize to strengthen it," said the Ministry of Agriculture and the stakeholders connected to the strategy.

Togo plans to capitalize on its pineapples’ aroma and taste, which demark the country from competitors. It also can expand pineapple cultivation and occupies a prime position in the organic produce market, which is in strong demand. This value chain has enough assets to be part of the agro-industrial and agropole dynamic promoted by the national authorities and their partners.

According to GIZ, in Togo, 76% of the production is organic, against 24% for conventional pineapple farming. Yields vary from 40 to 50 tonnes per hectare, for a national pineapple production of 44,391 tonnes.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.