SIAMAP: Burkina Faso and Tunisia celebrate their friendship
Guest country of honor at the 14th edition of SIAMAP, organized from September 24 to 29, 2019 in Tunis, by the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries (UTAP), Burkina Faso was entitled to a dedicated day, on Thursday, September 26, 2019. It took on the appearance of a celebration of the friendship between Ouagadougou and Tunis, with agriculture as the leitmotif, thanks to the Tunisian-Burkinabè cooperation forum.
At the official opening of the Burkina Faso day at SIAMAP, the president of UTAP, Abdelmajid EZZAR identified the challenge of holding the biennial of African and Mediterranean agriculture aimed at raising awareness and increasing awareness of the world on the place of agriculture and fishing in balanced socio-economic development and the achievement of food security, the foundations of “national sovereignty”. “This forum is an opportunity for the partnership between our two countries and our companies in the agricultural sector,” said Mr. EZZAR. Following him, the Tunisian Minister of Agriculture, Hydraulic Resources and Fisheries, Samir TAIEB, indicated that Tunisia, the first Maghreb country to sign a free trade agreement with the European Union, benefits from a legal context favorable to investments. In his opinion, the country presents itself as a potential partner of Burkina Faso in several aspects such as the development of agricultural sectors, phytosanitary protection of plants, agricultural training, etc. The Tunisian rural leader said his faith in making win-win investments between the two countries.
The Minister of Agriculture and Hydro-agricultural Development of Burkina Faso, Salifou OUEDRAOGO, noted that SIAMAP offers the opportunity to discover the innovations made in the links of agricultural production, processing and distribution of products. . “Burkina Faso is full of enormous agricultural, pastoral, fish-farming potential and great business opportunities in various sectors,” said Minister Salifou OUEDRAOGO. The boss of Burkinabè agriculture enumerated the significant potential in surface and groundwater of his country, respectively estimated at 10 billion m3 and 302 billion m3 of which 12.4 billion m3 renewable annually, its land area with agricultural potential estimated at 9 million hectares of which only 1/3 (or 3.5 million ha) annually exploited and its irrigable land potential estimated at about 233,500 ha of which 26,758 ha developed.
The two parties continued the discussions in the form of panels. Speaking on the development of investments and bilateral trade, the representative of the Burkina Faso Export Promotion Agency (APEX), Simon ZEMODO observed the convergence of vision on trade between the two countries, manifested by the abolition of entry visas on the two territories, the regularity of the air connection, etc.
Panelist Angélique KABORE, envoy of the Burkinabè Investment Agency (ABI), highlighted the facilities for setting up businesses in Burkina Faso, the right to land ownership and the various tax advantages granted to new companies, particularly in the agro-sylvo-pastoral domain.
At this forum, the Deputy Secretary General of the Koom Association for the Self-Promotion of Women of Burkina Faso, Hamsétou Madeleine OUEDRAOGO, presented the characteristics of Burkina Faso agriculture and the fundamental role of women in the agricultural value chain. On the Tunisian side, the communicators defended technological capital and proven know-how in the field of agriculture, breeding and fishing.
Several Burkinabè trainees benefit from cutting-edge training in Tunisian agro-sylvo-pastoral training centers. In addition to discussions on agricultural development opportunities, Burkina Faso Day served as a platform for promoting national dishes highly appreciated by participants.
The golden tô with leaf sauce, soumbala rice, fonio gnoncon, zamné, monkey bread juice, among others, delighted visitors. Artist Amity Meria and her musicians had already won over the audience at Le Kram Exhibition Center in Tunis after three days of performance. This September 26, it was the symbiosis between the Diva and music lovers from all over.
