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.
Gabon: Carrefour Opens Its First Store In Gabon
French retailer Carrefour has opened its first Carrefour Market outlet in Gabon, in partnership with the Prix Import Group. The new store is located in Libreville, the capital and the largest city in Gabon. It is expected to sell both local and imported products. Gabon is the tenth African country in which the retailer now has a presence.
Nigeria: Tiamin Rice Commissions 10,000 Hectare Rice Farm
Nigerian agri-food company Tiamin Rice has launched a 10,000 hectare rice farm in Bauchi State, in the north of the country. At a cost of 18 billion naira ($43 million), the farm will produce 120,000 tonnes of rice each year. It will provide about 2,000 employment opportunities. Through this initiative, the company intends to help bridge the country's annual deficit of two million tonnes of milled rice. Nigeria is the largest rice consumer in Africa.
Guinea: Sonoco Unveils New Beverage Factory
Guinean beverages manufacturer Sonoco has launched a new beverage production unit in Conakry. The factory, which covers two hectares, follows an investment of 450 billion Guinean francs ($50 million). It will produce several juices under the Salam brand in bottles and cans, as well as mineral water. It is expected to create 300 direct and more than 1,500 indirect jobs.
Egypt: Danone To Invest $32 Million By 2026
Dairy company Danone plans to invest 500 million Egyptian pounds ($32 million) in the development of its activities over the next five years. This amount will be used to set up new production lines and upgrade its existing units. The company aims to take advantage of the country's high milk consumption, which is the second highest in Africa after Algeria. Danone Egypt currently operates two plants in the country and employs 1,500 people.
Ethiopia: A New Avocado Processing Unit Is Launched
YBM, an Ethiopian fruit processor, has commissioned an avocado processing unit valued at 104 million birr ($2 million). The plant, which is the second of its kind in the country, is located in Yirgalem Agro-Processing Park in the Southern region of Ethiopia. It will produce mainly avocado oil for export to the European market. The facility will use 40,000 small-scale avocado producers for supply and will provide 500 jobs. In Ethiopia, avocado is the third most produced fruit after banana and mango, with an average annual harvest of 50,000 tonnes.
Ghana: Farmerline To Receive $3 Million For Expansion
In Ghana, the Dutch Development Bank (FMO) will grant a $3 million package to agritech firm Famerline. This will allow Farmerline to expand its operations, and build a more robust supply chain in order to support its farmers. The company currently assists 100,000 smallholders by providing access to agricultural information, services, inputs and markets via a mobile messaging platform. It launched operations in 2013.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Espoir Olodo. For more A-Brands news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
