The idea came in 2019 following a meeting with farmers in Koubri who produced onions, but could not store them. They had to sell them quickly, often at unprofitable prices. The company was founded in September 2021 by two partners: Valentin SIFT and Pino LACETERA. The close technical assistance to farmers, the construction of warehouses specifically designed for the storage of onions, and the contracting of sales to the company during the harvest period at remunerative prices for producers have enabled us to establish a win-win partnership intended to last over time. We chose to work in the Municipality of Koubri because it is an important market gardening area, which has many small dams ensuring the water supply for agricultural production. The good collaboration with local customary authorities has made easier the approach to the farmers, as well as the construction of the warehouses. All the investments have been made by the shareholders’ own funds.

Our goals

  • Improve the quality and healthiness of storage onions in Burkina Faso through the agro-ecological farming
  • Establish win-win and lasting business relationships with our partner producers
  • Increase the quota of onions produced in Burkina Faso on the local market and in West African coastal countries
  • Increase the availability of onions on the market in the period of shortage (July to October)

Our plans

In the first year of activity, we built 2 warehouses and involved 12 partner producers. This enabled us to purchase and store 37 tons of high quality storage onions. We plan to increase our storage capacity to 400 tons by 2026, involving more farmers partners.

In addition, we plan to:

  • Produce and make available to farmers organic fertilizer: indeed, the organic fertilization that we offer (manure, compost) makes it possible to reduce production costs, has positive effects on the quality of the products and contributes to the restoration of soil fertility. Otherwise, their scarce availability could be a constraint to the development plans of the company
  • Diversify our activities by expanding them to other market gardening products, while keeping the same approach, and introducing innovative and environmentally friendly production techniques (greenhouses)