Under the HortiFresh Innovation fund, ASFA’s (Agriculture Solution for Africa) goal is to set up a lease irrigation system and technical support for small fruit producers struggling to develop their business as a result of limited access to credit and other expensive irrigation equipment. The project is part of HortiFresh’s intervention to improve activities in the fruit value chain in Cote d’Ivoire.

The project has commenced implementation in Ferkessedougou where Nembel Invest SA leases irrigation system and solar pumps from Agricultural Solutions for Africa (ASFA), covering about 5 hectares of land to produce papaya for export. This activity feeds into Nembel’s initiative to innovate and diversify activities from the main mango producing and exporting (10,000 tons of Kent, Keitt and Zill per year) to France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Mali and Burkina Faso.

ASFA has completed the first phase of the project which recruited technicians, signed contracts with 4 producer organizations and installed 4 systems of solar pumps and irrigation covering 20 hectares of land.

The second phase of the project is expected to train 40 women and 100 youth on business management with simplified accounting techniques and effective irrigation techniques to improve productivity.