Burkina Faso’s Prime Minister, Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, on Tuesday inaugurated a rice mill in Bagré, in the country’s east-central region, with a processing capacity of 100 tonnes of paddy rice per day.
It’s a move aimed at boosting domestic processing and strengthening food sovereignty.
Managed by state-owned company Faso Agropôles (SOFA), the rice mill was funded entirely from the state’s own resources. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the facility is part of the 2026-2028 Agro-Pastoral, Water and Fisheries Offensive.
The facility is equipped with a complete processing line, from paddy rice cleaning to the packaging of white rice. Its machinery includes equipment for husking, whitening, polishing, optical sorting and grain grading.
The plant is expected to facilitate the processing of paddy rice stocks accumulated by the state through its farm-gate procurement programme. The initiative is intended to increase the value of domestic harvests and improve market access for local farmers.
Speaking at the inauguration, Ouédraogo said achieving food self-sufficiency was an integral part of national sovereignty. He advocated a strategy combining agricultural production with industrial processing to generate greater added value in Burkina Faso.
The prime minister also called on the public to take ownership of the facility and help preserve it. He tasked SOFA with ensuring its sustainable operation and strengthening its ties with producers.
The commissioning of the rice mill comes as Burkinabe authorities step up efforts to expand the domestic processing of agricultural products in a country where food security remains a major concern.
The prime minister announced that the government would continue establishing industrial processing facilities in several regions of the country, building on its agropoles development policy.
HO/te/Sf/lb/as/APA