"This is a coconut from Sri Lanka. What can you do with it?" This question started Fer Weerheijms adventure 25 years ago, which took him through Sri Lanka and India to Ivory Coast. Here he focussed on the production of coconut substrates - natural substrates for plant cultivation. Now he is about to switch to the production of vegetables for the local market. Once the finances are sorted out, there will be a tomato nursery in Bouake, Ivory Coast's second big city.
"An acquaintance of mine produced coconut fibres for door mats. Due to an error, ten tons of coconut fibre was cut at the wrong length. Useless for door mats. I wondered what I could do with it, so I had a container shipped to the Netherlands. After some messing about and experimenting, I discovered that coconut fibre is an excellent material to use as a base for plants to grow on. By mixing it with, for instance, turf, you can create an excellent substrate."
"Coconut became increasingly popular in professional horticulture: from the Netherlands to Korea to Mexico. It is used in bags of gardening earth, but is also used in the cultivation of fruit and vegetables. When we started with this new product the coir was piled up in Sri Lanka. The cows were walking all over it. Now these piles are gone and there is a constant supply of coconut fibre for our production."
From Sri Lanka to West Africa
"There is also a lot of coconut available in West Africa. It seemed like an interesting source to tap in to. So I went there to look into the possibilities. But Africa was different to Sri Lanka. A lot of coconut, but much to damp to dry the peels. I am not so easily disheartened so I drove to Germany with a trunk full of coconut peels, looking for a machine that would enable me to work with them. And I did. We have now found a partner in Ivory with whom we have started a local production location. Now we are the only ones who produce the fibres in this way."
From Sri Lanka to West Africa
"There is also a lot of coconut available in West Africa. It seemed like an interesting source to tap in to. So I went there to look into the possibilities. But Africa was different to Sri Lanka. A lot of coconut, but much to damp to dry the peels. I am not so easily disheartened so I drove to Germany with a trunk full of coconut peels, looking for a machine that would enable me to work with them. And I did. We have now found a partner in Ivory with whom we have started a local production location. Now we are the only ones who produce the fibres in this way."
Living and doing business in Ivory Coast
Fer has been living partially in the Netherlands and partially living in Ivory Coast for two years now, and recently married his Ivorian wife in the latter country. Besides his work for Dutch Plantin, he has been importing dog food from the Netherlands for the local market for two years. Now he has a wholesaler and two shops in Abidjan with his wife.
"It's not so hard to live and work in Africa, although it's not everyone is cut out for it. You have to watch your back a bit more here and accept that people will try to scam you. This goes for your employees as the people who work for the government. "You have a big family in Africa who all want to share your success."
"You have to work with local partners to deal with this. The business culture is so different from that in the Netherlands. You can also arrange everything more quickly in Ivory Coast than in the Netherlands, as long as you have the right contacts. Without contacts you have nothing and you are no one."
Tomatoes
He made a surprise discovery in the local supermarket which led him to his new adventure. "Twelve dollars for a kilo of not that great tomatoes? That's a lot of money, even in Dutch standards. Let alone in Abidjan. Most of the tomatoes have to be flown in from Morocco and Lebanon because not enough is produced locally. This is the same throughout west Africa. We crunched numbers with a local partner and made a serious business plan. We calculated that we could produce far better products for a considerably lower price. Even if I made a very safe estimate for the price and the harvest year, we could be at the break even point in two years."
"You have to work with local partners to deal with this. The business culture is so different from that in the Netherlands. You can also arrange everything more quickly in Ivory Coast than in the Netherlands, as long as you have the right contacts. Without contacts you have nothing and you are no one."
Tomatoes
He made a surprise discovery in the local supermarket which led him to his new adventure. "Twelve dollars for a kilo of not that great tomatoes? That's a lot of money, even in Dutch standards. Let alone in Abidjan. Most of the tomatoes have to be flown in from Morocco and Lebanon because not enough is produced locally. This is the same throughout west Africa. We crunched numbers with a local partner and made a serious business plan. We calculated that we could produce far better products for a considerably lower price. Even if I made a very safe estimate for the price and the harvest year, we could be at the break even point in two years."
"The tomatoes produced locally are of bad quality and the knowledge of cultivation techniques is low. If a plant with tomatoes becomes too heavy, it will fall over and the tomatoes will just rot away here. With my knowledge of soil types and fertiliser - which I advise other people on - and some knowledge of the cultivation of tomatoes, we got started. The results weren't bad but they had to be better. We went looking for somewhere with a better climate, somewhere the temperature is different during the day than it is at night. Tomatoes like this."
Old rebel stronghold
"The conditions inland turned out to be very suitable. And since a new highway has been created, it's not difficult to get from there to Abidjan to supply tomatoes. The plan now is to place a sustainable tomato nursery in Bouake, which can foresee the large local demand and enable us to contribute to work opportunities.
Old rebel stronghold
"The conditions inland turned out to be very suitable. And since a new highway has been created, it's not difficult to get from there to Abidjan to supply tomatoes. The plan now is to place a sustainable tomato nursery in Bouake, which can foresee the large local demand and enable us to contribute to work opportunities.
"Bouake is an old rebel stronghold which was used during the civil war. They have been gone for three years now and the city is rebuilding itself. Now that peace has returned, the atmosphere is much better than in the capital. As an entrepreneur you are given space to work, as there is need for an economic impulse. The horticulture around Bouake is slowly getting back on its feet and I believe it has a lot of potential."
Opportunities for grower
"The area around Bouake is already known for its horticulture, but most of it is small scale and not enough to meet the demand. We hope to be an example for the local growers with this project, and show that with a good system, a good production can be made so that there is more work and so much more wealth."
Opportunities for grower
"The area around Bouake is already known for its horticulture, but most of it is small scale and not enough to meet the demand. We hope to be an example for the local growers with this project, and show that with a good system, a good production can be made so that there is more work and so much more wealth."
"It is very interesting for Dutch growers to work in areas like this. If you're adventurous there are a lot of chances to grow here. In Holland the limit has been reached on all sides. At the moment I am in the Netherlands looking for investors willing to go on this adventure with me."
Last advice
"Put a piece of yourself into it, learn to judge people quickly and learn how to cope with the necessary disappointment."
Last advice
"Put a piece of yourself into it, learn to judge people quickly and learn how to cope with the necessary disappointment."
Source: Grensverleggers, MVO Nederland