On Wednesday, September 27, 2017, a visit to the Brasserie du Bénin (BB) of Lomé took place at the ESOP Rice Notsè in the Lom-Nava district.

This visit was part of the signing of a partnership agreement between the brewery and the network ESOP Rice of Togo for the supply to the brewery in local rice.

It aimed to :

• Fulfill the promises of the Manager of BB-Lomé to visit ESOP-Rice regularly;
• Take stock of the implementation of the first 03 months of partnership between the brewery and the ESOP-Rice.

The meeting began at 15:30 with a speech by Mrs. Carole Pyalo AHOULIMI, the Manager of ESOP Rice Notsè. The latter welcomed those present and, especially, Mr Thierry FERAUD, the General Manager of the Brasserie du Bénin, Mr. Komi ABITOR, the General Manager of ETD and Mr GBETOGBE, the Prefectural Representative of the MAEH.

As a prelude to the exchanges, Mrs. AHOULIMI renewed her gratitude to BB-Lomé for the trust granted in the framework of this partnership whose impacts have already allowed:

1. to double production from 4000 to 8000 tons of paddy rice;
2. to go from 7000 to 8000 affected farmers;
3. to create jobs for carriers and,
4. to improve banks’ trust in the ESOP-Rice.

The Manager of ESOP-Rice Notsè did not fail to introduce her colleagues (the managers of ESOP-Rice Agou, Elavagnon and Badou) without which it would be impossible to honor the commitments made. Her gratitude also went to the CEO of ETD, Mr. Komi ABITOR.

The latter expressed his excitement to see the Brasserie du Bénin support the ESOPs in this initiative launched to increase and secure the income of small farmers through the guarantee of flow of their products. His thoughts also went to the thousands of farmers who, in their families, will benefit from the existence of this partnership, in the prefectures of implantation of the ESOPs and more specifically in the Haho.

Abundant in the same direction, the prefectural representative of the MAEH expressed his wish to see the population continue to benefit from such a partnership.

Compelled to speak, the General Manager of the Brasserie du Bénin warmly thanked the partners involved. Coming back to the record of this partnership, which became effective on June 9, he assured that the purchase of local raw material has always been his desire in the context of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He congratulated the ESOP Rice Notsè for responding to the demands of a partnership based on the size of the BB-Lomé and estimated that the creation of 1300 jobs within three (03) months of partnership was auspicious in terms of impact in rural areas.

The CEO of the Brasserie du Bénin also mentioned his pride as an employer to see the Togolese consume local while thinking that each sip now contributes to the advancement of rural areas. Finally, Mr. Thierry FERAUD invited everyone to continue on the same vein.

Immediately thereafter, the visit of the BB-Lomé continued in the surrounding rice fields, to meet farmers, direct beneficiaries of the ESOP activity.

Whether BB-Lomé, rice ESOP, ETD (promoter of ESOP) or the farmers themselves, each actor was satisfied with these first months of partnership.

That is how for Mr. Adzrekpe Messan, a rice producer from the group “les Amis de la Terre / Friends of the Earth” payments are made immediately upon delivery and “with the ESOP we manage to support our families”. Abundant in the same direction, the Manager of ESOP said: “They come to us to request advances and since we know that there is a predefined market for this crop we give them advances and it relieves them a lot”.

As part of the partnership between ESOP-rice and BB-Lomé, more than 200 tons of white rice have already been delivered resulting in the creation of 1,300 jobs and the exploitation of 800 ha of surface area. The CEO of the brewery therefore considers: “we are extremely satisfied with this contract and we intend to continue to develop it in the months and years to come … This contract brings more than the raw material, it brings the employment to Togolese”.

However, if BB-Lomé’s partnership with the rice ESOPs covers the delivery of 1000 tonnes of local rice a year, the brewery’s needs are in fact 4000 tonnes. ESOPs have a lot to do if they hope to one day raise their production to this level. Indeed, farmers have equipment problems and are heavily dependent on rainfall: “Our most crucial grievance is the water; if there is water, it can be produced properly; even one can do twice a year. (Adzrekpe Messan, rice producer).

For Mr. Thierry FERAUD however: “What matters most is to be able to increase the purchase power while respecting the Togolese production.”

The BB hopes nevertheless to be able to increase these quantities of purchases in the next 03 years because: “Togo does not have to blush of this quality of its rice“.