WT/CFMC/W/68  
12 November 2015  
(15-5981)  Page: 1/2  
 Original: French  
 
  DIRECTOR-GENERAL'S CONSULTATIVE FRAMEWORK MECHANISM ON COTTON 
COTTON PROJECT 
Communication from Benin 
The following communication, dated 17 September 2015,  is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Benin.  
_______________ 
  The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Benin is  submitting the project below, prepared by the 
Government of Benin, with a view to receiving technical and financial assistance from the cotton 
sector development partners under the Director-General's Consultative Framework Mechanism on Cotton. 
 
1  PROJECT TO REFURBISH SONAPRA LINT CLASSIFICATION UNIT 
1.1  Context and justification 
1.1.  The Government of Benin has opted for an economic growth policy involving the 
diversification of agricultural activities. Hence the country's strategic development orientations and its growth strategy for poverty reduction, in which the agricultural sector serves as a lever in the fight against poverty. The Strategic Plan to Revive the Agricultural Sector (PSRSA) 2011-2015, 
whose priority focus is the promotion of agricultural activities, calls for the development of 
13 subsectors. 
1.2.  In this regard, cotton plays a leading role in Benin's economy thanks to its contribution to job 
creation and national wealth. 
1.3.  Moreover, rapid growth in cotton production has been recorded in recent seasons 
(174,000 tonnes in 2011-2012, 240,027 tonnes in 2012-2013, 307,354 tonnes in 2013-2014 and 
more than 380,000 tonnes in the 2014-2015 season). 
1.4.  In order to cope with producers' increased interest in cotton growing and to enhance the 
value of Beninese cotton on international markets, SONAPRA, which classifies all lint produced in the country by sale type and fibre length through the Cotton Quality Control and Classification 
Service, is seeking to modernize this instrumental classification unit and eventually develop 
high-volume instrument (HVI) bale-by-bale classification across its entire lint output. 
1.5.  SONAPRA sees redesigning the current building as the logical option, since the site is of an 
adequate size. 
1.2  Action areas and target groups 
1.6.  The project exclusively concerns the SONAPRA lint classification unit in Parakou. WT/CFMC/W/68 
- 2 - 
  1.3  Objectives and expected outcomes 
1.3.1  General objective 
1.7.  The overall objective of the project is to implement HVI bale-by-bale classification. 
1.3.2  Specific objectives 
1.8.  The specific objectives are: 
a. to create the operational conditions necessary for instrumental classification (appropriate 
site and compliance with international standards); 
b. to adopt a commercial approach based on HVI classification in order to enhance the 
value of Beninese lint on the international market; and 
c. to strengthen the capacities of actors (SONAPRA executives and classers) with regard to 
HVI classification. 
1.3.3  Outcomes 
1.9.  The main expected outcomes are: 
a. refurbishment of the classification unit to bring it into line with current standards; 
b. adoption of a commercial approach based on HVI classification; and 
c. stronger staff capacity to perform HVI classification. 
1.4  Project description 
1.10.  The lint classification unit refurbishment project will be placed under the supervision of the 
National Agricultural Promotion Company (Société Nationale pour la Promotion Agricole (SONAPRA)) and overseen by its Director-General. 
1.11.  SONAPRA sees redesigning the current building as the logical option, since the size of the 
site is adequate and the layout of the rooms provides a good basis for transformation. The 
established target figures are an output of 600,000 tonnes of seed-cotton classified in 180 calendar days by 2020. 
1.12.  Given a lint yield of 43% and an average bale weight of 227 kg, the laboratory's dimensions 
will have to be suited for manual and HVI bale-by-bale classification of 1,136,564 bales in 180 working days. 
1.5  Strategy for implementation, organiza tion and management of the project 
1.13.  An organizational implementation mechanism with a roadmap will be developed, but the 
process will be coordinated by SONAPRA. 
1.6  Costs and financing 
1.14.  The total cost of the project is estimated at €3 million and financing is being sought from 
the World Trade Organization in the form of a grant. 
__________