On Jan 26-27, major actors of the Togolese pineapple sector gathered to discuss the elaboration of a five-year strategic action plan to revitalize the industry and foster synergy among its various players. 

The document is a new step towards integrated structuring of the sector which has, since 2019, many corporatist organizations. According to Kpindelesi Zangaba, chairman of the Interprofessional Council for Pineapple (CIFAN), the organ behind the meeting, “the 5-year action plan regroups all actions we will carry out in coordination with the various components that make the pineapple inter-profession.”

It should be noted that between 2017 and 2019, Togo’s pineapple sector grew by more than 11%, due to exports of the fruits and derived organic juice. However, it suffered greatly from restrictions induced by the Covid-19 pandemic. Deploring the situation, the president of the Togolese federation of pineapple producers, Kossi Adjogble, said: “We are currently weakened and suffer big losses. Our fruits rot in our fields and there is nothing we can do. This is why it is important to meet and think, together, to elaborate a strategic plan. This plan will help anticipate such situations.”

The recent meeting was supported by the German Cooperation Agency, Giz, and the ministry of agriculture through its project to boost the pineapple sector (PROCAT). 

Klétus Situ(intern)

For the 2021-2022 agricultural season, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock plans to build 80 new planned agricultural development zones (ZAAP) across the five regions of the country. These will add to the already existing 38. 

On the table for several years, this project aligns with the country’s five-year roadmap (going to 2025) and its ambitions to boost agricultural production. It is launched together with the works involving the identification of lands to use with local communities, topographical surveys, and organizing producers.

According to the Agricultural Financing Incentive Mechanism (MIFA), there will be “80 new ZAAPs spanning a total area of 8,000 ha, with each site developed over 100 ha”. "24 ZAAPs will be in the Savannah region, 24 in the Kara region, 5 in the Central region, 11 in the Plateaux region, and 16 in the Maritime region.”

In the long run, 400 ZAAPs will be established in the country, one per canton. They will foster the installation of agricultural processing units all over the territory, to help producers seeking outlets for their goods.

From now till March 4, 2021, the Togolese government has launched an international tender to hire a construction firm that will maintain, throughout the year, 292 km of roads across the country. 

The works, ordered by the ministry of public works, will be financed by the Société Autonome de Financement de l’Entretien Routier (SAFER). While the exact amount is yet to be revealed, the project will involve major and localized repairs.  

The ambition of the public authorities is to reduce the number of degraded roads. Among others, the latter include the Aneho-Aklakou road in the coastal region, N’digbé-Danyi Apeyeme-Sassanou-Ghana border in the Plateaux, Langabou-Pagala and the Sokodé-Tchamba-Kamboli-Benin border roads in the central region, and Kara-Kabou-Natchamba in the Kara region.

According to recent figures, Togo’s road network spans 11,777 km, of which 4,600 km are degraded. 

Séna Akoda

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will invest around $250,000 (CFA135 million) in 8 Togolese civil society organizations (CSO). The recipients operate in the following areas: natural resource conservation, environmental protection, and climate

The funds will be provided as part of the 11th round of funding of the Global Environment Facility Microfinance Program (GEF). 

The related agreement was signed in Lomé on 29th January. According to the terms of the contract signed by the UNDP and the civil society organizations, each project should receive between 10 and 22 million CFA. 

The program “aims to finance projects initiated by CSOs and which boost local capacities for the preservation of biodiversity to tackle climate change, land degradation, and the pollution of international water, and the management of chemical waste,” said Koffi Eli ATRI, who coordinates the GEF’s microfinance program. 

In Togo, property owners will pay less tax, notably due to the reduction of the withholding tax on rent. This tax, paid by tenants of residential or commercial buildings, used to be 12.5% of the rent but it has been reduced to 8.5%. This corresponds to a 4% reduction in just 12 months. 

The withholding tax used to cause disputes between landlords and their tenants. Often, the former would refuse any levy on rent or a rent increase to cover the fee and as a result, it would befall tenants to pay more. 

Reducing this tax aligns with the Togolese authorities' ambition to reduce the burden on taxpayers.

The withholding tax is paid to the Togolese Revenue Office (OTR) latest by the 15th of every month (after rent is paid). 

Séna Akoda

Quebec will fund an ecological and energetic project in Kloto, 100 km northwest of Lomé. The financing, around CFA250 million, will be provided to Canadian firm Biothermica Technologies, as a subsidy.  

The Montreal-based company will steer the project, which in its first phase consist of setting up a waste collection system. In the second phase, a landfill with biogas collection technologies will follow. In the last phase, a mixed power plant, using biogas and solar energy, will be built. 

Part of the financing provided by Quebec will be used to conduct preliminary studies regarding the site where the landfill facility will be erected. Another part will be used to support Bioénergie Togo’s activities (waste collection) and train local technicians. 

According to Biothermica’s estimates, the project should also help cut CO2 emissions by 260,000 tons, by 2030. 

Klétus Situ (intern)

The first batch of students trained as part of the Presidential Program of Excellence for the National Development Plan (PPEP) received their completion certificate on Jan. 27. The graduation ceremony was held at the presidency and was chaired by PM Victoire Tomegah Dogbé. The minister of higher education and research, Majesté Ihou Wateba, and the secretary-general at the presidency, Sandra Johson, were also present. 

The students, 20 in all (from the universities of Lomé and Kara), were trained by ShARE, an organization specialized in training talented youths. They learned communication and management skills, leadership, as well as the relevance and challenges of the national development plan (PND) - alongside their traditional courses. 

Launched in 2019 and backed by the UNDP, the PPEP selects students from Togolese private and public schools based on excellence criteria, and trains them to contribute to the PND. One of its laureates, Yannick Amedome, described the program as a “wonderful opportunity that enables the youth to put their talent at the service of their country.”

Klétus Situ (intern)

Global Trade Corporation (GTC) is in negotiation to partner with Zalach Holding, Morocco’s top poultry company. 

The news was announced by Maryux Godwin Alley, MD of the Togolese firm. The partnership aims to make GTC a major player in the poultry sector in West Africa. 

More importantly, GTC’s goal is to control Togo’s whole poultry production chain, to secure its supplies, and save on purchases of intermediary products. 

As the Project to support employment and insertion of youth into promising sectors (PAEIJ-SP) comes to an end, a new one, the project to support youth-led agricultural investments (PAIAJ), is in the pipeline. 

According to well-informed sources, the new project, which is yet to be launched officially, has been trusted with the team that coordinated the PAEIJ-SP. This, following a call for projects issued by the African Development Bank (AfDB), its main backer. 

The PAIAJ will benefit “young people who couldn’t benefit from the PAIEJ-SP for various reasons, especially due to failure to meet eligibility criteria.”

While eligibility criteria for the PAIAJ are more flexible than the PAIEJ’s, the two projects are quite similar regarding how new entrepreneurs are selected. “Just like with the PAEIJ-SP, the PAIAJ will proceed to a call for projects to recruit new entrepreneurs across the country.”

The AfDB injected around CFA800 million in the project for two years. It will rely on microfinance institutions to provide loans to agricultural entrepreneurs. 

Séna Akoda