Members of the Central African Republic delegation included Mrs. Corine Niox and Mr. Steve Gounji (ENABEL program in support of rural development), Mr. Ngaïssona-Touadoka (MADR - Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) and Mr. Dominique Ngozo (Interprofession of the Palm Oil sector)

After a short briefing on the regional mandate, education programs  and future developments prospects of ERAIFT, exchanges rapidly shifted to rural development issues with the ERAIFT scientific team (Pr. Jean-Pierre Mate, Academic Secretary for Research et Isaac Diansambu, PhD, internship supervisor « integrated management and development »). Discussions mainly focused on the future prospects of local palm oil activities, more specifically on issues of capacity building for local producers, from plantation preparations to market access.

Discussions turned really grassroots when visiting the ERAIFT field-level training facilities of ERAIFT, in the young arboretum an in the nursery. All agreed on the importance of using local know-how and locally available inputs in efforts to support local growers, for instance by using banana-leave or bamboo based containers when growing young palm oil plants, instead of onerous plastic bags.

ERAIFT extends its warm welcome to the ENABEL delegation for its visit and interest.