The management of the West Africa Rating Agency (WARA) has awarded the long-term rating in investment grade "BBB+" with a stable outlook to the Ivorian agro-industrial group SIFCA. The Company operates in the fields of natural rubber, palm oil and sugar.

Simultaneously, on its international scale, WARA awarded SIFCA the ratings and outlook iB+/Stable/iw-5. The short-term rating is “w-4” with a stable outlook. These ratings reflect SIFCA's leading position in its benchmark activities, good governance of the agro-industrial group, backed by a clear vision and strategy, reinforced by permanent support from its shareholders. WARA justifies the outlook attached to SIFCA's rating, which remains stable, by the marked drop in rubber prices over the past few years and palm oil with prices still volatile. SIFCA's rating is constrained by dependence on world prices for natural rubber and palm oil, the difficulty for the group to impose finished products derived from palm oil on the Ivorian market under a brand with strong added value, some operational weaknesses, particularly in terms of the quality of industrial processes and an unstable operational environment, driven by recurring political dissension weighing on the good development of the country.