(Ecofin Agency) - After cocoa, rice. Côte d'Ivoire, which will soon host the headquarters of the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO), is also welcoming back the Africa Rice Centre (AfricaRice) who returns to its Abidjan headquarters. The institution has indeed announced the end of its exile in Benin following the Ivorian political crisis which lasted 10 years.

"Most of the headquarters functions have been officially transferred from Cotonou in Benin to Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire, as part of a gradual return of the Centre from its temporary head office to its permanent headquarters in Côte d'Ivoire. The General Manager of AfricaRice, Dr Harold Roy-Macauley (photo), the other members of the Executive Management Committee, as well as supporting agents now operate from Abidjan", AfricaRice indicated in a communiqué.

This move further strengthens Côte d'Ivoire in its ambitions to become the West African capital of agriculture, and then, of the whole continent.

African leader for cocoa, cashew, rubber tree and mango, among others, the country has been constantly setting records since the end of the crisis in 2011, to the point of concerning experts. Jean-Marc Anga who leads ICCO said last year: "it is difficult, if not impossible for a national production to increase from 1.3 million tons in 2013 to 1.74 million tons of cocoa in 2014. An additional tonnage of 400,000, it is huge!" before raising threats of overproduction.