Gabon - SIAT Gabon Agricultural Expansion Project

The Agricultural Expansion Project of the Investment Company for Tropical Agriculture (SIAT) -Gabon is designed to develop the cultivation of oil palm and rubber, adopting the concept of sustainable agriculture. In order to increase the productivity of existing plantations, Siat Gabon should, in addition, gradually replace the old oil palms and rubber trees. The project should focus on the production of value-added commodities through the acquisition of an additional granular rubber cylinder mixer and by strengthening the capacity of the palm oil mill, pulp mill and the palm oil refining plant. This expansion project is as follows: at the oil palm level, these are: (i) creation of a new oil palm of 4,250 ha and the replanting of 1,500 ha of oil palm in Bindo; (ii) replanting of 750 ha of oil palms at Zile; (iii) replanting of 1000 ha of oil palms at Makouké; (iv) modernization of the palm oil mill and the Makouké crushing plant; (v) expanding the capacity of the Lambaréné palm oil refining plant from 50 tonnes per day to 75 tonnes per day; vi) modernization of the Lambaréné soap factory, and vii) increase of 3,000 tonnes in the capacity of the Lambaréné and Port Gentil palm oil storage tanks. Concerning the rubber, it question of: (i) replanting of 4,100 ha of rubber plantations in Bitam and Mitzic; (ii) support to the rubber smallholder plan for 2,000 ha; and (iii) acquisition of a second granular rubber roll mill with a capacity of 40 tonnes per day at Mitzic.