Ivory Coast/Tabou: The CHPC Begins Rehabilitation of More Than 100 km of Rural Roads to Improve Access to Oil Palm Production Areas

On October 21, 2026, in Tabou (southwestern Côte d’Ivoire), the Rubber-Oil Palm-Coconut Council (CHPC) launched a project to rehabilitate agricultural access roads, with the goal of facilitating the transport of crops and minimizing income losses for farmers, particularly during the rainy season.

The program calls for the construction of 800 engineering structures in 2026—including culverts and drainage channels—as well as the repaving of 100 km of roads throughout all oil palm production areas, according to the CHPC’s director general, Edmond Coulibaly.

In the San Pedro and Gboklê areas, the work primarily involves 52 km of major road resurfacing and the construction of 336 crossing structures. In the Tabou department, the work includes the installation of 217 culverts of various sizes, the construction of seven box culverts, and the repair of critical sections on several routes, according to information provided during the ceremony.

“Our goal is zero road closures,” said Mr. Coulibaly, emphasizing that heavy rains and the presence of numerous waterways regularly disrupt traffic in the production basins. He specified that the program calls for the reprofiling of 2,000 km of roads and major repairs to 500 km of roadways over the 2026–2027 period.

CHPC President Anoblé Félix emphasized that rehabilitating access roads to plantations should make it easier for producers to transport their crops to processing facilities.

On behalf of the cooperatives in the Tabou oil palm sector, Tako Raymond noted that the poor condition of the roads leads to difficulties in accessing plantations, delays in transporting bunches, and lost income for farming families. He welcomed the start of the work, which comes after several years of difficulties maintaining the access roads.

When interviewed on the sidelines of the launch, one beneficiary farmer, Atté Adja David, also expressed his relief, explaining that the impassable roads had already caused crop losses and additional expenses related to vehicle repairs.

The secretary general of the Tabou prefecture, Diomandié Zoumana, urged the local population to take ownership of the project and support the companies responsible for its implementation, given its expected benefits for the department’s various agricultural sectors.

This work is part of the infrastructure component of the Interim Program for the Development of the Palm Oil and Coconut Sectors, launched on July 31 in Grand-Béréby by Bruno Nabagné Koné, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food Crops. This program aims to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of the sectors in question.

Source: www.aip.ci/