During a high-level panel marking the closing ceremony of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the National Higher School of Agronomy (ENSA) on Friday, May 8, 2026, in Yamoussoukro, Deputy Minister of Agriculture in charge of Food Crop Production, Bernard Kini Comoé, highlighted the opportunities within the food crop sector.

Bernard Kini Comoé also emphasized that the food crop sector has become one of the main sources of employment and wealth creation for Ivorian youth. Despite ongoing challenges related to low mechanization, inadequate storage infrastructure, limited access to financing, and the quality of agricultural inputs, he stated that the sector still offers significant prospects.

“Sustainably producing food crops to ensure food sovereignty is not an option. It is a strategic imperative for food security, social stability, and the improvement of our balance of payments,” he stressed.

The speaker highlighted the many opportunities offered by the value chains of rice, cassava, maize, plantain banana, yam, and vegetable crops, ranging from production to industrial processing, logistics, packaging, and marketing.

Addressing ENSA graduates directly, Bernard Kini Comoé urged them to move beyond the traditional pursuit of administrative jobs and become agents of economic transformation. “You have the knowledge, you have the tools, you have the legitimacy. The food crop subsector needs you, not only as technicians serving the administration, but as entrepreneurs, innovators, and value creators,” he declared.