Olam Agri Rewards Rubber Growers in Côte d'Ivoire
Olam Agri's rubber business in Côte d'Ivoire – Société Agro-Industrielle de la Comoé (SAIC) – rewarded 347 farmers during the 10th edition of the GOUASSOU event hosted at the National Civil Protection Office (ONPC) in Abengorou, the rubber-growing region of Côte d'Ivoire.
Gouassou, which means "bonus" in the local language, is a recognition ceremony launched in 2017 by Olam Agri’s subsidiary SAIC to celebrate rubber farmers. The ceremony was attended by local and regional authorities and representatives of the Company. During the event, the best rubber cooperatives and growing partners were rewarded for their loyalty, quality, and volume of their products. The bonus programme is part of Olam Agri's sustainable sourcing initiative to incentivise growers to produce quality rubber while protecting the environment.
During this celebration, 312 farmers and 35 cooperatives were presented with one truck, seven tricycles, six motorcycles, seven laptops, 22 smartphones, 2743 tapping knives, 2653 machetes, 2608 pairs of boots and a check totaling US$8,135 (5,000,000 FCFA).
The essence of Gouassou is to say thank you and to encourage growers by supporting them with new farming equipment. The programme is a reminder of Olam Agri's commitment to the sustainable development of the local rubber industry and the well-being of the growers. Through the GOUASSOU reward programme, we appreciate and value the efforts of these growers while celebrating them.
Moïse Kouakou
Procurement Manager at Olam Agri’s Rubber Business
Olam Agri is committed to ensuring the responsible sourcing of rubber and is dedicated to promoting the development of the local rubber industry in Côte d'Ivoire and other rubber-growing regions where it operates.
