SITARAIL (Société de transport africain par rail), a subsidiary of the AGL Group (Africa Global Logistics), has been operating the rail network linking Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso since 1995. Nadège Diarra, SITARAIL's Commercial Director, explains in this interview the major role of rail in supplying Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso with agro-pastoral products and agricultural inputs, and its economic and social impact in West Africa.

L'Economiste du Faso: From September 29 to October 8, 2023, SITARAIL took part in the Salon international de l'agriculture et des ressources animales (SARA) in Abidjan. What were the stakes of this participation?

Nadège Diarra, Directrice commerciale de SITARAIL : En tant qu’entreprise qui gère la ligne de chemin de fer entre la Côte d’Ivoire et le Burkina Faso, SITARAIL joue un rôle essentiel dans l’approvisionnement des deux pays en intrants et produits agropastoraux. C’est fort de cela que SITARAIL participe au SARA 2023, aux côtés des autres filiales du Groupe AGL, en Côte d’Ivoire.

With over 300,000 agricultural sector players of 30 nationalities in attendance, the event offered us an ideal opportunity to promote our know-how and our contribution to the development of the agricultural sector, a source of wealth for our countries.

Our presence is also justified by our desire to participate in debates linked to the sustainability of agriculture and agricultural supply chains, but also to open up further, to create and strengthen efficient regional and international partnerships with the continent's agricultural players.

How does rail contribute to the development of the agricultural and pastoral sector between Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso?

Rail is an essential link in the development of the agro-pastoral sector, as it connects the rural world and farmers, the production zone par excellence, to the various markets, thus facilitating the sale of agricultural products and the routing of inputs.

For example, in 2021, SITARAIL transported 80,118 tonnes of agro-pastoral products from Burkina Faso to Côte d'Ivoire, and 77,003 tonnes in the opposite direction.

In 2022, 91,139 tonnes of agricultural products and inputs, mainly rice, wheat, cotton, cashew nuts, sesame, shea, soya, nutsedge, hibiscus, livestock and fertilizers, were shipped from Côte d'Ivoire to Burkina Faso, and almost 60,000 tonnes in the opposite direction.

In all, more than 370,000 tonnes of agropastoral products and agricultural inputs have been transported by rail between our two countries, from 2021 to the present day.

Beyond agriculture, what contribution does rail make to Burkina Faso's economy?

SITARAIL plays an important role in the economic life of Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire and the hinterland, notably through its role in the supply chain and its impact on the performance of multimodal logistics platforms, namely the dry ports of Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou, and the Abidjan sea terminals.

This direct interconnection represents a real opportunity for Burkina Faso's import-export players and economic operators.

SITARAIL carries an average of 1,000,000 tonnes of freight a year, representing almost half of the trade flows on the Ouagadougou-Abidjan corridor. Its route, through the countryside, facilitates the sale of local products from several landlocked areas, thus contributing to the development of local economies. 30% of hydrocarbon supplies and 50% of container traffic to Burkina Faso are handled by SITARAIL.

Through special branch lines, the company serves some fifteen industrial companies in Burkina Faso, making the railroad an important vector in the country's industrial development. In addition to tax contributions, SITARAIL pays an average of FCFA 10 billion a year to local service providers and suppliers.

What innovations has SITARAIL undertaken to improve its performance, in order to better contribute to the supply of agricultural products and inputs to Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso?

SITARAIL is investing heavily in the modernization of its equipment, in order to increase its competitiveness. Since 2019, SITARAIL has been implementing a vast program to strengthen and modernize its workshops, as part of its railway equipment maintenance program.

At a total cost of more than 3 billion FCFA, this investment has enabled the acquisition and installation of new, modern equipment in the Bobo-Dioulasso and Abidjan waggon, rolling stock and engine workshops, in order to strengthen its maintenance tools for more efficient and safer rail traffic.

In the course of 2022, we acquired a new, modern tamping, straightening and levelling machine. This latest-generation equipment, which cost more than 2 billion FCFA, will enable us to process sleepers at a faster rate, as well as ensuring greater precision during track maintenance operations. In parallel with the acquisition of work equipment, SITARAIL is investing in the renewal of its railway structures.

This is the case, for example, of the Agboville railway bridge in Côte d'Ivoire, which was completely replaced by a new structure in August 2022.

In short, with all the investments made in maintenance and the acquisition of new equipment, our company will be able to optimize the logistics of agricultural products between Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

Interview réalisée par J.B