Conakry — With up to 400 billion m3 of rainfall a year, 6.2 million ha of arable land, 364,000 ha of irrigable land, levels of sunshine that allows the production of several crops throughout the year, 300 km of Atlantic coastline, an abundance of fishery resources, as well as a climate suited to the production of livestock, Guinea is well-positioned to be the breadbasket of West Africa.

Guinea's Development Partners and Investor Conference, that will be held on the 24th and 25th of November 2013 in Abu Dhabi (UAE) will be an occasion for Guinea to showcase to more than 400 distinguished international guests its potential to use agriculture as a lever for economic growth and social stability by 2025. The vision for the sector aligns with the President's desire to promote vegetal, animal and fishery value chains that can sustainably meet the nation's food demand, bring economic and social development, and reduce poverty.

The agriculture sector in Guinea offers several investment opportunities including: the construction and management of processing centers, the construction and maintenance of storage facilities, enterprises to produce agricultural inputs and packaging, the large-scale production of crops such as fruits, vegetables, rice, cashew, coffee, cocoa, and cotton, the creation and development of agricultural production poles to boost agro-industrial value chains, and livestock production and processing.

According to Dr. Mima S. Nedelcovych of Schaffer Global Group (SGG) who is a specialist in public-private partnerships (PPP) in Africa, "the potential for growing two crops of rice under irrigation in the Mandiana area of Haute Guinea is enormous. All the right elements are in place, the fertile lands, the abundance of water for irrigation, and a very eager population wanting to engage in PPP schemes integrating small farmers with nucleus commercial farms."

Several agricultural projects are currently underway. These include: a rice farming project using 32,000 ha of irrigable land along the valley between the Fie and Sankarani rivers; a $200 million dollar project to produce agricultural inputs; and the development of a large-scale poultry farm complex in Haute Guinea that will be equipped with the latest technology. Many of these projects need additional investment with possibilities of public-private partnerships and potential to expand and capitalize on markets outside of Guinea, especially with the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA), the EU-ACP agreements and the common market of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

These opportunities should be viewed from a sub-regional perspective, and investors can leverage Guinea's strategic position along key infrastructure projects such as the transnational coastal road that will run from Lagos to Dakar linking markets across West Africa. Furthermore, additional infrastructure construction is underway in Guinea such as growth corridors, ports, airports, hydroelectric dams, and railways that will open up markets and reduce the cost of doing business.

Guinea's Development Partners and Investor Conference in Abu Dhabi on 24-25 November 2013 will be a unique opportunity to learn more about the range of investments and partnership opportunities that the country has to offer in the agriculture sector as well as other strategic sectors such as: infrastructure, mines, energy, water and sanitation, education, and health.
For more information, please visit: http://www.guineemergente.com.gn/conference/
With up to 400 billion m3 of rainfall a year, 6.2 million ha of arable land, 364,000 ha of irrigable land, levels of sunshine that allows the production of several crops throughout the year, 300 km of Atlantic coastline, an abundance of fishery resources, as well as a climate suited to the production of livestock, Guinea is well-positioned to be the breadbasket of West Africa.

Guinea's Development Partners and Investor Conference, that will be held on the 24th and 25th of November 2013 in Abu Dhabi (UAE) will be an occasion for Guinea to showcase to more than 400 distinguished international guests its potential to use agriculture as a lever for economic growth and social stability by 2025. The vision for the sector aligns with the President's desire to promote vegetal, animal and fishery value chains that can sustainably meet the nation's food demand, bring economic and social development, and reduce poverty.

The agriculture sector in Guinea offers several investment opportunities including: the construction and management of processing centers, the construction and maintenance of storage facilities, enterprises to produce agricultural inputs and packaging, the large-scale production of crops such as fruits, vegetables, rice, cashew, coffee, cocoa, and cotton, the creation and development of agricultural production poles to boost agro-industrial value chains, and livestock production and processing.

According to Dr. Mima S. Nedelcovych of Schaffer Global Group (SGG) who is a specialist in public-private partnerships (PPP) in Africa, "the potential for growing two crops of rice under irrigation in the Mandiana area of Haute Guinea is enormous. All the right elements are in place, the fertile lands, the abundance of water for irrigation, and a very eager population wanting to engage in PPP schemes integrating small farmers with nucleus commercial farms."

Several agricultural projects are currently underway. These include: a rice farming project using 32,000 ha of irrigable land along the valley between the Fie and Sankarani rivers; a $200 million dollar project to produce agricultural inputs; and the development of a large-scale poultry farm complex in Haute Guinea that will be equipped with the latest technology. Many of these projects need additional investment with possibilities of public-private partnerships and potential to expand and capitalize on markets outside of Guinea, especially with the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA), the EU-ACP agreements and the common market of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

These opportunities should be viewed from a sub-regional perspective, and investors can leverage Guinea's strategic position along key infrastructure projects such as the transnational coastal road that will run from Lagos to Dakar linking markets across West Africa. Furthermore, additional infrastructure construction is underway in Guinea such as growth corridors, ports, airports, hydroelectric dams, and railways that will open up markets and reduce the cost of doing business.

Guinea's Development Partners and Investor Conference in Abu Dhabi on 24-25 November 2013 will be a unique opportunity to learn more about the range of investments and partnership opportunities that the country has to offer in the agriculture sector as well as other strategic sectors such as: infrastructure, mines, energy, water and sanitation, education, and health.

For more information, please visit: http://www.guineemergente.com.gn/conference/