Cote d'Ivoire - Cocoa Pre-Export and Value Chain Trade Finance Support Facility - Sucres et denrées (SUCDEN)

The project is a EUR 100 million, Cocoa Pre-Export and Value-Chain Finance Facility to support SUCDEN CI’s participation in cocoa value chain in Cote d’Ivoire. SUCDEN CI is wholly owned subsidiary of SUCRE & DENREES Group (SUCDEN SA), one of the world’s leading global soft commodity producer and aggregator headquartered in Paris, France. The Bank previously had granted a EUR 100 million facility to SUCDEN CI and its performance under that arrangement was satisfactory. The facility enabled SUCDEN CI to double its pre-financing and support small cooperatives and wholesalers (covering more than 7,500 small-scale farmers) thereby impacting positively the cocoa industry in Cote d’Ivoire. The proposed project is a package of three successive one-year facilities for a maximum exposure of EUR100 million at any given time during the tenor of the facility. This facility will allow the Bank to reach local cooperatives and thus the small farmers, without directly taking the risks on those entities, but through a seasoned commodity aggregator with sound knowledge in the cocoa industry and is able to take and manage the risks that come along in the sector. The pre-financing is expected to assist local suppliers, farmers grow their revenues, produce quality crops and develop drying, and storage facilities that will help them obtain better value for their produce.