The Regional Coordination of the PRSF held a working session with a team from the Permanent Secretariat of the West African Association for the Cross-Border Trade of Agro-Sylvo-pastoral and Halieutic Food Products (AOCTAH/WACTAF) in Lomé on Friday 24 November 2023.
Exchanges on the collection of data on trade in agricultural products at border level in support of FSRP countries.
West Africa is characterised by a wide diversity of agricultural products, ranging from cereals (such as millet and maize) to food crops (such as cassava) and livestock products. This offers significant potential for intra-regional trade, which is an important aspect of the region's economic development.
It should be noted, however, that some countries in the region face food security challenges, which may limit their ability to participate fully in intra-regional trade. In addition, quality and safety standards for agricultural products vary from one country to another, which can hamper trade by creating technical barriers.
To help improve intra-regional trade in agricultural products in West Africa, ECOWAS is implementing component 3 of the FSRP to develop value chains and strengthen integration between countries in the West African sub-region by removing barriers to trade.
In order to operationalise the activities on the ground, exchanges have been undertaken with organisations with experience of intra-regional trade in agricultural products, including AOCTAH, whose mandate is to promote solidarity in food and nutritional security and trade in the CILSS and ECOWAS areas.
Areas of collaboration will focus on the use of AOCTAH country focal points to support data collection at borders in PRSP beneficiary countries. In-depth discussions will soon take place to make the partnership effective and to work with the countries.
ECOWAS-AOCTAH collaboration will facilitate trade between countries while promoting standards and rules at borders and in countries to facilitate the marketing of agricultural products within and beyond national borders.
