IITA and AfricaRice advance agricultural transformation in Togo

In a major development to strengthen agricultural mechanization and enhance food security in Togo, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and AfricaRice, under the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-funded Zero Hunger Project, officially handed over 29 newly fabricated processing machines to the Togo’s Ministry of Agriculture, Village Water Resources and Rural Development.

The equipment, designed to improve rice and cassava processing efficiency, was presented at a formal ceremony attended by key stakeholders, including government officials, private sector actors, local fabricators, and beneficiaries.

Introducing the equipment, IITA mechanization and post-harvest consultant, Diallo Thierno, who led the beneficiaries’ fabrication and capacity development, highlighted how local fabricators trained in Togo under the project are already replicating the machines.

A trained fabricator in Lomé has started producing cassava presses and threshers, while another in Kara is in the design phase for new machine production. Additionally, the host workshop, where the training took place, has identified a business opportunity in stainless steel fabrication and is working towards importing materials for local production, a move expected to drive sustainability and economic growth.

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