Captain Ibrahim Traoré Hands Over 20 Optical Sorters to Rice Mills.

Bobo-Dioulasso: The President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, officially handed over 20 optical sorters to rice mills spread across the country this morning in Bobo-Dioulasso. The ceremony for the handover of the sorters, purchased for 180 million FCFA excluding taxes, by the National Office of Major Projects of Burkina Faso, took place at the Regional Directorate of Agriculture of Hauts-Bassins. Present in the Burkinabe economic capital for the inauguration of the Burkinabe Tomato Company, the Head of State took the opportunity to encourage rice processing stakeholders.According to Burkina Information Agency, the special advisor to the President of Faso, in charge of agricultural issues and food self-sufficiency, Dr. Abdourasmane Konaté, emphasized the strategic importance of this equipment in the production of national rice. He noted that national rice struggles to compete partly due to the low sorting capacity, which affects the quality of the finished product. Dr. Konaté highlighted that these are late st generation optical sorters, boasting a capacity of 64 million megapixels, capable of removing impurities and calibrating rice grains.In total, about twenty machines were offered free of charge to rice mills to enhance the competitiveness of national rice both domestically and internationally. The sorters have a processing capacity of 1.6 tons per hour for some machines and 4 to 6 tons per hour for others, significantly boosting production capabilities. This equipment will enable various rice mills to provide consumers with high-quality products, with training planned to ensure mastery in using the new devices.Seydou Konaté, President of the Hauts-Bassins rice innovation platform and spokesperson for the rice processors, expressed gratitude to the National Office of Major Projects of Burkina Faso and to the President of Faso for their support. He conveyed the relief and optimism among rice sector stakeholders, stating that with the arrival of these technologically advanced machines, local rice would no longer lag behind imported varieties. This cutting-edge technology is expected to enhance the quality and competitiveness of national rice production, elevating the value of rice "made in Burkina."