As part of his move to bolster agriculture and the economy, Captain Ibrahim Traoré laid the foundation stone for the nation’s first cashew apple processing factory in Peni on Friday.
The announcement came shortly after Traoré oversaw the distribution of agricultural equipment worth 104 billion FCFA (approximately $170 million) to local farmers, reinforcing the government’s commitment to achieving food sovereignty.
The new factory, a 6.65 billion FCFA ($11 million USD) project, is designed to process an average of 5,000 tonnes of cashew apples annually, tackling the significant issue of post-harvest losses.
Burkina Faso, a major cashew-producing country in West Africa, generates over 100,000 tonnes of cashew apples each year, but the majority has historically gone to waste due to a lack of processing infrastructure.
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The initiative aims to transform the cashew apple—often discarded as a byproduct of cashew nut production—into a valuable resource, creating new economic opportunities.
The project is expected to have a substantial impact on employment in the region, generating 112 permanent jobs and more than 10,050 temporary positions, primarily benefiting local communities.