Agritech Faso – Agritech Benin – Agritech Togo – Agritech Ivoire

– Agritech Faso – Country Team –

• Director General (President) – William Kwende

• Chief Operations Officer (Deputy Director General) – Pascal Roumba

Born in Ouagadougou, Pascal pursued his graduate and postgraduate studies in water and forest management, both in Burkina Faso and Cameroon. Prior to joining Agritech, Pascal’s work experiences encompassed the Environment, Water and Forest Management in Poni (Gaoua), Bougouriba, Comoé, Nazinga and other places. Mr Rouamba has successfully managed the Fauna section of the African Plan Program for Epizooties Control. He was formerly Responsible for the Nazinga Game Ranch and the Project Supervisor of a UNDP program referred to as UNDP BKF/94 /G32 / E/ 1G/ 99 « GEF/FEM/Nazinga». Mr Rouamba, as the Commanding Officer of the Central Region Brigade, supervised the whole forest resources of that region from 2007 to 2009. Pascal is now undertaking important strategies for an effective implementation of Jatropha cultivation in Burkina-Faso. As a senior officer of the Burkinabe Ministry of Environment, Pascal published many research papers on the conservation and valorization of water and forest resources. One of his latest writings includes “Project Assessment for the Conservation and Valorization of Forest products in the vicinities of the National Game Park of Pô (Kabore Tambi)”.

• Finance & Administration – Yves Ouedraogo

Yves received his GCE ‘A’ Level Accounting from Ougadougou Technical High School, a Graduate Diploma in Management from the Higher Institute of Management in Dakar (Senegal), and his Master és Management Studies from University of Evry Val d’Essone in France. Prior to joining Agritech, he worked as Administrative & Financial Manager for Faso Kanu Development and also managed logistics for a Hydro-Agricultural Project in Burkina Faso undertaken by a Canadian company. Yves was also Assistant Coach of the ‘AS-SONABHY Basket Senior Homme’ team, which was the Burkina champion in 2005 and 2006.

• Audit, Internal Control and Management Control – Konate Bagnamou

Born in Burkina Faso in 1977, Mr. Konate studied at the University of Ouagadougou, where
he obtained an MA in Economics and Business Management and Organization. As the former Head of Mission at the firm SOFIDEC, Mr. Konate capitalizes five (05) good years of professional experience in auditorship works and financial audit for companies, including development projects and and international institutions in Burkina Faso.
Mr. Konate has extensive experience in banking and has received distinctive congratulations from the World Bank (for the IDA funding). He is now assuming the full responsibility for the audit and internal control and management of Agritech Faso.

o Boni Field Office : Yameogo W. Achille – Born in 1984 in Ouagadougou, Achilles studied Finance and Accounting Auditing and obtained his professional Bachelor at the CEFIG-Ouagadougou. After his graduation, he respectively gained his work experience from an International Trust company, he then conducted auditorship works on behalf of the BIB, one of the members of Union Bank of Africa. Achilles is currently the main accountant of the Boni fields.
o Sawana Field Office : Dominique Charbonneau
o Bobo Field Office : Frederick Meda

• Sales Management – Marie Joseph Batako

Born in 1982 in Bobo Dioulasso, Ms. Batako furthered her studies at the “Institut Supérieur Privé et Polytechnique” where she received a Higher Diploma in Sales Management. Prior to joining the Agritech team, Ms. Batako proved her work experiences at the Mutual of Savings and Cedit of the Assemblies of God Church of Patte d’Oie, where she served as the main cashier. Her duties include: writing of editorial notes (on products offered), collection and processing of information and documents, formalizing special conditions to be offered to clients etc…

• Plantation Operations – Hubert Bationo

Prior to joining Agritech, Hubert served for 10 years as the Head of Tobacco Growing for a major international tobacco company, overseeing 16,000 hectares. When the tobacco company decided to convert former tobacco farmers and their lands to jatropha fields, he managed the land conversion process, as well as the acquisition of jatropha seeds from India. Mr. Bationo received his M.S. in Rural Development and Agronomy from University of Ouagadougou, where he was also a student of Professor Makido.
o Boni Plantation : Yacouba Bonde
o Sawana Plantation : Larba Lompo
o Gampela Experimental Field : Tibila Tiendrebeogo
o Dano Plantation : TBA (in training)
o Kantchari Plantation : TBA (in training)

• Zone Manager: Bramibiéni Sambohoun

Born in1978 in Houndé, Mr. Sambohoun has already attained over 12 years experience in management, training and organizing of producers’ groups. He was respectively the agricultural adviser of Aprojet and MABUCIG. Mr. Sambohoun is counted among the main agricultural advisors of Agritech Faso.

• Zone Manager: Mamadou Baloue

Born in 1969 in Houndé, Mr. Balou has gathered over 14 years of experience in the management, training and organization of producers’ groups. He was a zone manager of the company MABUCIG. Mr. Baloue is also among the main agricultural advisors of Agritech Faso.

• Logistics & Transportation – Yendie Gayeri

Yendie received his B.A. and M.A. in Economics and Business Management from the University of Ouagadougou and did internships in accounting before joining Mr. Dominique Charbonneau in the establishment of the shea business in Sawana. He currently oversees the movement of shea nuts from Burkina Faso to Ghana and Ivory Coast.
o Maintenance : Mathieu Nikiema
o Security : Adama DRABO
o Shipping & Freight : Rasmane Tomos (Consultant)

• Plantation R&D & Training – Makido Ouedraogo

o Training – Cheikh Omar Traore :

Cheick received his M.S. in Biology & Plant Physiology and his B.S. in Chemistry & Biology from University of Ouagadougou. Prior to joining Agritech in October 2007, he taught Life & Earth Sciences, Mathematics and Chemistry in Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou.

o Field Experiments – Olivier Bado

Olivier received his Masters of Science & technology in Rural Development from the Institute of Rural development at the Polytechnic University of Bobo-Dioulasso. Prior to joining Agritech, he worked at the Department of Forest Resources where he conducted studies on forest management, wildlife planning, aquaculture, cotton cultivation, climatology, agricultural machinery, participatory planning and other topics all over Burkina Faso.

o Seed Collection – Noufou Ouaba

Aside from taking responsibility for seed collection throughout the country, Noufou has strong practical knowledge in building and construction. He hails from the far east of Burkina Faso in Kantchari, from a line of tribal chiefs.

In addition to the above 26 personnel in management and central operations, Agritech currently employs:
• 120 direct employees, primarily engaged in company owned jatropha nurseries and plantations.
• 270 villagers employed through Men’s Associations & Women’s Associations, each Association deployed in the cultivation of a specific parcel, where they can ‘take ownership’ of their efforts.
• 534 farmers under contract growing arrangements.
• 80 women for shea nut sorting at Agritech locations.
• 2,500 estimated number of women engaged in shea nut gathering, boiling and drying.
• 30 men for the manual labor related to shea nuts.