ASSOCIATED VOLUNTEER experts

Management audit carried out for 4 local NGOs in Kindu

Jean François, an AVe expert specializing in business management with extensive experience in Africa, spent 2 weeks in Kindu in eastern DRC, carrying out a management audit of each of 4 local NGOs. These are associations bringing together village communities with activities in various fields: agriculture, education, health, etc. The mission was intense and met the expectations of the 4 associations' managers, enabling them to apply for funding to pursue their activities.

AVe holds its annual general meeting in person at the beginning of 2025

Good turnout at our annual general meeting, held in Rennes at the beginning of January. A big change compared with previous years: we're holding the meeting face-to-face. It was an opportunity to note that our business grew strongly in 2024 and that the outlook for 2025 is good. It was also a convivial occasion for each expert to report on his or her missions.

Two AVe experts take part in SELAB with several French livestock partners

Bernard, an AVe expert in pig breeding, and Daniel, an Ave expert in cattle breeding, took part in SELAB on a joint stand with several French breeding partners: IFIP (Institut Français du Porc), AXIOM, the French leader in pig genetics, CFC (Celtic Freight Consulting) and UNIPORC. Over the course of three days, they met a number of Ivorian breeders and players in the pork and dairy industries in Côte d'Ivoire. Bernard led a conference on biosecurity in pig farming.

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A 2-year construction project managed by AVe

Intervention on a Ministry multiplication farm

The agreement between the Ivory Coast's MIRAH (Ministry of Livestock) and AVe provides for AVe pig specialists to support a Ministry multiplication farm with around 100 sows (purebred breeding stock), as well as a number of pig farms monitored by the Ministry. Bernard and Gilbert were away for a week in August. They arrived in a context of ASF (African Swine Fever). As a result, their intervention was limited to the multiplication farm. This is currently being set up. In November 2023, AXIOM delivered some fifty purebred breeding animals, which were placed in temporary premises pending the construction of breeding buildings suitable for professional breeding. The AVe experts' recommendations focused mainly on the biosafety measures to be scrupulously observed, the layout of the building under construction, and preparation for the farrowings due to take place in the coming month. Other interventions will follow. It is imperative that this multiplication farm functions properly, as it will produce selected breeding stock that will be sold to the country's pig farms. This is the basis of the future Ivorian pork industry, which is being set up today.

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For each pig project, a building plan adapted to the size of the farm

Several agreements signed for pork projects in various African countries

Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Liberia, Senegal: projects to set up pig farms are appearing in several African countries. Thanks to an agreement with AXIOM (the French leader in pig genetics) and the distribution of the “Guide de l'éleveur de porc en Afrique”, AVe is now called on to support these farmers in the implementation of their installation projects. Drawing up a plan for the farm buildings, a business plan that answers the questions: “How much does it cost? “How much does it bring in? These are the terms of agreements signed with various investors from Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Liberia and Senegal. The projects involve medium to small-scale farms (from 50 farrow-to-finish sows to 15 farrow-to-finish sows). All these new investors want to set up professional farms with an economic objective for themselves and their countries (to reduce pork imports, which account for 80% of the pork consumed in their countries.

Exchange with officials (mayor, traditional chief...) Kitkot future dam area

AVe president meets partners (current, former, future) in Cameroon

Cameroon is the African country where Ave has intervened most often over the past 10 years. The purpose of the visit by Louis, President of AVe, was to meet “face to face” with the partners we know well through the support we provide, as well as with new contacts seeking our expertise. These direct exchanges are fruitful, as they enable us to better identify needs and respond to them later on. On the week's agenda :

• site visits to Kitkot: future hydroelectric dam project on the Sanaga River
• in Ntui: an agricultural project (crop production) on a 40-hectare site
• meetings: the Minister of MINEPIA, the President of the Chamber of Agriculture, the AFD agricultural delegate...
• a meeting on the key factors for successful pig farming in Africa, attended by some sixty people.

A full and diversified program, reflected in a number of new agreements

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About ten Ivorian pig farms audited by two AVe experts prior to the introduction of High Genetic Value breeding stock

Framework agreement between the Ivory Coast Ministry of Livestock and AVe

On March 1, 2024, taking advantage of the Ivory Coast Minister of Livestock's visit to the Salon de l'Agriculture in Paris, a framework agreement was signed with AVe specifying our involvement in the PRO PORC program (MIRAH's pork industry development program). The signing took place on the premises of IFIP (Institut Français de l'Interprofession Porcine), which has also signed an agreement with MIRAH. With IFIP, we work together to ensure that our interventions are complementary.

Renovation of a hospital in northern Cameroon

An agreement has been signed between the Christian Aurenche - Tokombéré Foundation and AVe to provide Eric, an AVe expert specializing in building construction, for the renovation of the Tokombéré hospital in northern Cameroon. The foundation is supporting the "health" component of a more global project, the Tokombéré Human Promotion Project (PPHT), in an area where living conditions are extremely difficult. The health component includes preventive and primary care in the villages and a 150-bed hospital. This hospital needs to be completely renovated.