By Isseu Diouf Campbell
Jean-Louis Billon, Minister of Trade of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire headed the Ivoirian delegation participating in the first Agribusiness Conference hosted by the Côte d’Ivoire Economic Promotion Bureau in the USA, Canada and Mexico on November 17 and 18, at Little Rock, Arkansas.
Minister Billon’s goal was to have constructive exchanges with his counterparts in Arkansas, promote Côte d’Ivoire and find partners in the agribusiness industry.
The event kicked off with a conference attended by local officials including Little Rock mayor Mark Stodola, Arkansas governor Mike Beebe, World Trade Center Arkansas President and CEO Dan Hendrix, and several investors.
On the second day, Minister Billon and his delegation visited the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a local farm.
Côte d’Ivoire struggled with two civil wars between 2002 and 2011, but is already rising from its ashes. The West African country is the most developed country of the sub region and has the ambition to become an emerging country by 2020.
Arkansas, America’s largest producer of rice and one of the top three in aquaculture, was the perfect partner to help the country reach its goal.
“We import a lot of rice. We import today a lot of fish. I know we can produce them, and move from an importing country to an exporting country,” Minister Billon said.
