The Central African Republic has great untapped potential in the fresh produce export industry, and it's time to act to develop it. So says Raed Hariri, Managing Director of the Saginco Group.
Hariri describes the advantages of the agricultural industry in the Central African Republic: "We have a tropical climate, fertile soil that is not overexploited, and long hours of sunshine. The country is one of the few countries in the world not to be badly affected by climate change. Arable land is vast, covering 15 million hectares. Agricultural development is very dynamic in the Central African Republic, and we are recording a 10-15% increase in cultivated areas this year. The products grown are diversified, with a marked potential for early vegetables, both for the local market and for export.
The grower took part last week in the 17th edition of the International Agricultural Exhibition in Morocco, together with a delegation of exhibitors led by the Central African Embassy in Rabat. He says, "We are inspired and interested by the Moroccan experience in exporting fresh produce, for two reasons: we invite Moroccan investors to come and support our actions and ambition, and we are interested in Morocco as a market where many of our products have high potential. We had encountered administrative difficulties in exporting to Morocco, but the meeting with Moroccan officials here in Meknes has opened up serious leads for collaboration."
The geographical position of the Central African Republic, a landlocked country, is not an insurmountable limit, according to Hariri. He explains, "We can export to Europe via Cameroon within a very good transit time, which has no impact on the shelf life of the products. Similarly, our road shipments to Morocco take 15 days. Logistics are smooth and don't hold us back."
For more information:
Raed Hariri
Saginco Group
Tel: +23672112222 / +23675222222
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
www.sagincogroup.com