Olam rides on Ivory Coast's rapid growth

At the ground level, it has field workers who build ties with the farmers who produce the crops

Published Fri, Mar 13, 2015 · 09:50 PM

Singapore

SOME 300 machines whirr non-stop in a factory in the Ivory Coast, splitting open cashew shells in seconds.

This is Olam International's cashew nut-processing facility, the largest in the world. Set up in 2011 and operating round the clock, it has enabled the company to ramp up production of this popular snack at a time of rising global demand.

The factory is one of 18 Olam has set up in the agrarian West African nation to process cashew, coffee, cocoa and cotton. Last Saturday, the company opened its latest - a US$75 million cocoa facility that it describes as one of the most advanced in Africa.

As Ivory Coast sets ambitious growth plans in various agriculture crops, companies su…

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