About Plantations J. Eglin SA
Plantations J. Eglin SA marked its sixtieth anniversary in 2019. This milestone was celebrated at the start of 2020 and the opportunity was taken to reward many employees who have worked for the company for more than 25 years. Some 70 people were honoured in the presence of representatives of the local authorities, economic partners, work colleagues and company management.
A few days after this memorable day of celebration, came the sad news of the passing away of the chairman of the board of directors of Plantations J. Eglin SA, Mr Joseph Aka Anghui, in his ninetieth year. He had guided and advised the company in this great fruit adventure in Ivory Coast for several decades. The SIPEF group has lost not only a partner, but also a friend.
Joseph’s succession is now assured by his son Stéphane, who will continue as chairman of the board of directors of the company.
Core Values
Plantations J. Eglin SA aims for quality production by applying good agricultural practices.
It is a fact that any successful agricultural production can only be achieved by respecting the environment and being ethically irreproachable.
The company aims to be exemplary with all its partners, suppliers and stakeholders.
Finally, the utmost importance is placed on the well-being of workers and their families, through housing, education, health care, working conditions and Fairtrade certification, and the personal development of workers in training and internal promotion, not forgetting all the riparian communities,
Company Mission & Vision
Plantations J. Eglin SA wants to be a major player in the Ivorian and African banana sector.
To do this, it is essential to produce a quality banana, with full control of production costs, and to be constantly listening to the market and customers. This means being responsive and innovative, particularly by developing niche products that do not always interest large producers.
Agriculture is changing rapidly, and it is essential to constantly question procedures.
Finally, the defence of this industry is of great importance and the aim is to be its driving force.
Union is strength.
Plantations J. Eglin SA history
Plantations J. Eglin SA were created by Mr Jean Eglin, a French horticulturalist who settled in Ivory Coast in 1959, and who started the cultivation of bananas in the Azaguié region, about 30 kilometers north of Abidjan. In 1985, SIPEF acquired Plantations J. Eglin SA, which at that time was also diversified into pineapple fruits in addition to the banana production and the horticultural cultivation. Following this takeover, the company expanded and acquired two new sites; in Agboville, 90 km north of Abidjan, and in Motobé, near the former capital Grand-Bassam, 65 kilometers east of Abidjan. The Agboville site initially only produced fruit pineapples, but banana production was relaunched there in 1995 and is now the only one remaining, along with the Lotus harvesting.
Today, Plantations J. Eglin SA is operational on more than 1 700 hectares of agricultural land, spread over three sites Azaguié, Agboville and Motobé. This distribution makes it possible to limit the risks linked to climate, such as tornadoes or floods, which can have a dramatic effect on production. The company is one of the pillars of the local economy and agriculture, with its reputation and knowledge of the region, producing without any environmental impact.
Plantations
Azaguié 1 and 2
Azaguié, the site closest to Abidjan, hosts the head office and is the location of most of the company’s services departments, the two banana production sectors and two associated packing stations, as well as the horticulture activities, including a production sector and its packing station.
The agricultural area used is quite fragmented and divided into several land titles belonging to Plantations J. Eglin SA and a few rented areas.
Azaguie 1 is the historic site where Plantations J. Eglin SA's banana production started in 1959.
Azaguié 2 was first planted in 2015, where the first fallows will start in 2021.
The two sites are entirely planted on the hillsides with bananas from the variety “Grande Naine”, for about nearly 400 planted hectares.
It is also in Azaguie that the horticultural site of Plantations J. Eglin SA is located.
Pineapple flowers (striatus variety) and various foliage (cordyline, draecena, etc.) are the main production intended for the bouquet market.
Agboville
The Agboville plantation is mature and balanced.
The site is fully planted with Cavendish, variety Grande Naine, and the surface areas are appropriate to the water reserves, which are the restrictive factor at this plantation.
The majority of the plantation is on hillsides where the bunches are transported by trailer up to the packing station. The rest, planted in low lying areas are transported by cableway.
Motobé
Motobé is located on the edge of the river Comoe.
Motobé is the most complex plantation to manage in the rainy season, and good drainage is the key to the success of these compact clayey soils.
Permanent maintenance of water collectors and drains, and the use of a lift pump are essential for maintaining the optimum level of the water table.
The plantation is planted entirely with the variety William, a hardier variety of Cavendish and therefore better suited to these difficult conditions.
The plantation is fully equipped with a cableway.
Packing stations
Bananas are packed six days a week at the four packing stations, which have a combined capacity of 50 tonnes per day.
Different packaging is available and constantly evolving to meet the needs of customers, bulk in cartons and crates, and/or prepacked in bags.
The bananas are then exported from the packing stations in refrigerated containers and shipped to Europe.
The production was rationalised at the four stations, as part of the company’s social responsibility approach with regard to working hours and conditions, in response to the Rainforest Alliance certification.
This approach has been fully approved and applied, as it incorporates the environmental, ethical and social principles the company espouses.