Talking peanuts is serious business

THEY’LL be talking peanuts in Limerick today! But it will be serious business.

A high-profile delegation from the Ivory Coast will spend the day in the Mid-West in an effort to set up a peanut processing plant here.

The government of the Ivory Coast wants to export millions of tons of peanuts to this country for sale as animal feed. The proposal is to ship the peanuts to Limerick and then process and package them for sale to farmers here.

It is one of a number of projects they want to set up here to raise money to help finance much needed infrastructural developments in their own country.

A peanuts processing plant is one of the projects the 18-member delegation will discuss with representatives of Shannon Development and other agencies, including Limerick Co Council. The delegation will be led by the Economics and Finance Minister of the Ivory Coast, Diby Koffi Charles.

The delegation will also try and link up with Irish agencies and companies which they want to invest in the Ivory Coast.

The delegation will meet with members of Limerick Co Council this afternoon.

Cllr John Gallahue said: “There is huge potential for Limerick as the Ivory Coast is the largest cocoa manufacturer in the world.

“They want to attract foreign investment to their country to help develop vital infrastructure there. The country needs total restructuring. They also want to see how our local government system works.”

The Fianna Fáil councillor said the establishment of a peanut processing plant in Limerick could be the first of many business links between the region and the Ivory Coast.

The delegation will visit the Dáil and Seanad tomorrow.