Burkina Faso inaugurates a US$23M flour mill to boost domestic production
BURKINA FASO – Burkina Faso has inaugurated a new flour mill with a daily production capacity of 220 tonnes of flour and 80 tonnes of bran in Gampéla, as part of national efforts to strengthen local food processing and reduce reliance on wheat and flour imports.
The Moulin Double Star Mill (M2S), constructed by the Zidnaba Group at a cost of 15 billion CFA francs (US$23.6 million), aligns with the government’s vision to enhance food security and promote industrial self-sufficiency.
The new mill, commissioned on February 20 in the presence of President Ibrahim Traoré is expected to play a pivotal role in reducing this dependency.
El Hadj Souleymane Zidnaba, chairman of the board of directors of the Zidnaba Group, emphasized the project’s alignment with the government’s vision for greater local processing of raw materials.
“It is in the desire to respond to the government’s call for greater local processing of our raw materials, thus reducing our dependence on the outside, that our company has launched the construction of an industrial complex, specialized in the production and marketing of wheat flour and derived products,” Zidnaba stated
The inauguration of the mill comes as part of broader national efforts to enhance food security. Burkina Faso, a landlocked West African country with a population of 23 million, imported 270,300 tonnes of wheat and 16,700 tonnes of wheat flour in 2023, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The country does not currently produce wheat, but in October 2023, the government announced the allocation of 5,000 hectares for wheat cultivation in the 2024-25 season. This initiative aims to lay the foundation for local production and reduce dependency on imported grain.
In addition, the establishment of the M2S mill reflects broader efforts in Burkina Faso to develop its agro-processing sector, improve food security, and increase employment opportunities.
Recently, the country launched the construction of an 8.5 billion CFA francs (US$14.4 million) pasta manufacturing unit in Koulpélé in the Toecé commune in an effort to boost local pasta production and cut imports.
This ambitious venture, named Anadolu Industrie, is a result of a partnership between Burkina Faso’s government, Turkey, and Qatar. It is expected to produce 100 tons of pasta daily, in five different varieties, over a six-month construction period.
In addition to pasta production, the facility will include a flour mill with a capacity of 100 tons per day, supplied by local wheat producers cultivating 2,000 hectares of land.
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