Here’s the latest in ESM’s regular series, Notes From Africa, which brings you the latest retail, consumer goods, and food-and-beverage stories from across the African continent. Past editions can be found here.
Kenya: Carrefour Unveils New Outlet In Nairobi
French retail giant Carrefour has inaugurated a new branch in Nairobi. The store, the company's 23rd in the country, covers an area of 600 square meters. This expansion coincides with Quickmart and Naivas racing to gain market share in Kenya with the opening of new stores in recent months.
Burkina Faso: Poultry Complex Launched
In Burkina Faso, Société de nutrition agroalimentaire (SONU-AGRO) has launched a poultry complex on a two-hectare site in Komsilga, located in the centre of the country. At a total cost of 1.5 billion Fcfa ($2.4 million), the establishment houses a poultry farm, a feed manufacturing unit with a production capacity of 75 tonnes per day, and a slaughterhouse capable of processing 250 heads of poultry per hour, as well as a poultry processing room and cold rooms for preservation.
In the long term, the company plans to invest an additional 3.5 billion Fcfa ($5.7 million) in the next phase of development of its facilities.
Nigeria: Skretting Launches Feed Mill
Skretting Nigeria, the local subsidiary of the Dutch company Nutreco, has launched a feed mill in Ibadan. Costing a total of $25 million, the plant is situated on a 17-hectare site. It will supply 200,000 tonnes of feed per year at full capacity to meet the needs of poultry and fish.
The investment will bolster the efforts already undertaken by the government to increase local feed production in the country, given a likely increase in demand for protein in the coming years.
Sierra Leone: Cashew Processing Plant Unveiled
In Sierra Leone, a cashew processing plant has been unveiled in Newton. The plant, the first of its kind in the country, has a processing capacity of 200 tonnes of cashews per year. Financed by the European Union, it is expected to employ over 300 people.
Cameroon: Feed Mill Opens In Olembe
In Cameroon, an automated feed production plant has been inaugurated in Olembe by Provenderie du Centre, a subsidiary of the Noutchogouin Jean Samuel group. Spanning an area of one hectare, it boasts a yearly production capacity of 100,000 tonnes of feed following an investment of 5 billion Fcfa ($8 million).
As well as the domestic market, the facility's output will be exported to neighbouring countries like Gabon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, and the Central African Republic.
Nigeria: Cross River State Unveils Plans for 50,000-Hectare Rice Farm
In Nigeria, Cross River State has announced plans to establish a 50,000-hectare rice plantation in Ogoja Local Government Area. According to local media reports, discussions are already underway with producers in the region to combine rice with other crops such as cassava, cocoa, oil palm, and rubber in the long term.
This new agricultural project aims to increase rice production and boost self-sufficiency. The country produces an average of five million tonnes of milled rice annually against a consumption of over seven million tonnes.
