Côte d'Ivoire: In Boundiali, the PAAC plant processes 30,000 tonnes of cashews and creates 1,900 jobs

The PAN Agro Africa Commodities (PAAC) plant, located in Tombougou in the Boundiali department, currently processes nearly 30,000 tonnes of raw cashew nuts per year, with an industrial capacity of 50 tonnes per day, representing an annual potential of 45,000 tonnes when fully supplied, according to the Official Portal of the Government of Côte d'Ivoire. Moïse Tapsoba, director of PAAC, estimates at 400 the direct jobs and 1,500 the indirect jobs generated by the site: "The establishment of the plant helps leverage local labor. Today, young women, older women, everyone can work." Cissé Aminata, a plant employee, testifies: "With the money I earn here, I manage to get by in life and take care of my needs." Alassane Traoré, a technician, adds that the site has allowed "going from unemployment to employment" for many young people in the region. Nationally, the local cashew processing rate rose from 12.2% in 2020 to 36.4% in 2024, according to the 2026-2030 National Development Plan, with 29 operational plants and over 14,000 direct jobs created in the sector. The Government aims for 70% local processing by 2030. This industrial ramp-up addresses a dual challenge: capturing more added value on a product long exported raw, and anchoring rural employment in production areas like Boundiali. However, it remains subject to the financing capacities of local units in the face of Asian players historically dominant in cashew processing, as well as global price volatility and the effective supply of agricultural campaigns.