WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/CFMC/18 
4 June 2008 
 
 (08-2632) 
 Original:   French 
  
 
DIRECTOR-GENERAL'S CONSULTATIVE FRAMEWORK 
MECHANISM ON COTTON 
 
Communication from Benin 
  
 The following communication, dated 23 April 2008,  is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Benin.  
_______________ 
 
 
NOTE ON THE SHORT- AND MEDIUM-TERM OUTLOOK 
FOR THE COTTON SECTOR IN BENIN 
 
 
1. The implementation of the reforms in the cott on sector has encountered many problems that 
can be attributed to a number of different causes, such as: 
 (a) Inadequate interprofessional management by the actors; 
  (b) poor management of conflicts of interest; 
 
 (c) poor management of intra-sectoral branches;   (d) delays in payment of producers;   (e) lack of motivation of producers; 
 
 (f) stagnation of seed cotton production at about 300,000 tonnes;   (g) steady rise in the price of cotton inputs;  
 (h) failure to set up the joint committees pr ovided for under the former State Framework 
Agreement between the State and the AIC; 
  (i) failure to impose sanctions on the actors;  
 (j) lack of technical support staff for producers; 
  (k) insufficient financial r esources for the Interprofession. 
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  I. SHORT- AND MEDIUM-TERM ACTIONS 
2. In order to ensure the continued existence of what has been achieved through the reform and 
to revive cotton production, taking better advantage of existing pote ntial, emphasis will be placed on a 
number of short- and medium-term actions: 
A. I
NSTITUTIONAL AND REGULATORY ACTIONS  
3. These actions would consist of: 
 (a) Adoption of a framework law on the cotton sector (the preliminary draft law has 
already been submitted to the Govern ment for transmission to the National 
Assembly); 
 
 (b) improved operation of the framewo rks for consultation among the different 
professional branches and the Interprofession; 
  (c) improved interprofessional management of the sector;  
 (d) establishment of a council of producers at the village level; 
  (e) improved management of the solidarit y guarantee and primary marketing in the 
farmers' organizations at the grassroots level while ensuring good governance within the farmers' organizations; 
 
 (f) establishment of the input credit committees; 
  (g) dissemination of the list of sanctions;   (h) imposition of the sanctions on actors in th e sector that fail to respect the regulations; 
 
 (i) improvement of the managerial compet ence of leaders and supervisory staff among 
the different economic operators in the sector. 
 B. P
RODUCTIVITY AND COMPETITIVENESS  
4. Implementation of a vast programme to im prove productivity and competitiveness of cotton 
with the help of the State and technical and financial partners: 
(i) Cotton research 
(a) Capacity-building in cotton research thr ough regular financing to help eliminate the 
technical constraints to production; 
 
 (b) development and implementa tion of a biotechnology programme; 
  (c) organization of periodical meetings to  evaluate research and development work; 
  (d) development and implementation of a research programme closely involving farmers 
and their organizations as well as ginners, a nd importers and distributors of inputs. 
  WT/CFMC/18 
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  (ii) Technical support for producers 
(a) Preparation of producers and support fo r their efforts to adopt and implement 
technical itineraries; 
  (b) revitalization of technical support for producers by building up the technical capacity 
of staff, introduction of a close follow-up system in cooperation with the Ministry of 
Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MAEP); 
  (c) timely supply of quality inputs in sufficient quantities and at competitive prices;  
 (d) proper management of input credit; 
  (e) improved implementation of the manage ment advisory service in cooperation with 
the production dynamic support programme  for the cotton-growing areas (PADYP); 
 
 (f) implementation of a functional literacy  programme for producers and staff in 
cooperation with PADYP; 
  (g) study on sustainable development of the sector and contract farming;   (h) development of a plan for training staff and producers in cooperation with the MAEP; 
 
 (i) continuation and extension of th e Targeted Application Management ( Lutte Étagée 
Ciblée  – LEC) programme; 
  (j) continuation of other actions in favour  of integrated cotton pest management. 
 
(iii) Production and distribution of seed 
(a) Implementation of the results of the study on the function of seed in the cotton sector 
and on the structure responsible for the production and distribution of seeds; 
  (b) establishment of the boundaries of the Alafiarou seed farm in cooperation with the 
MAEP. 
 C. P
ROMOTION OF THE COTON BÉNIN  LABEL THROUGH NOTABLE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT  
5. The actions undertaken to improve the production of fibre will be continued and strengthened. 
(i) Marketing : 
(a) Raising awareness of producers with resp ect to the pre-packaging of seed cotton; 
  (b) double quality control of seed cotton by packaging staff at the market and at the 
factory; 
  (c) timely start-up of seed cotton marketing. 
 
(ii) Ginning 
 
(a) Improved management of ginning; WT/CFMC/18 
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  (b) monitoring of the quality of ginning on the basis of technological analyses on HVI 
and AFIS-N chains at the different ginning stages; 
(c) organization of storage areas and protection of bales during storage; 
(d) packaging of a large proportion of the bales with cotton cloth; 
(e) development and implementation of environm ental management plans for all of the 
factories; 
(f) management capacity building for ginning factory workers. 
(iii) Classification 
 
(a) Monitoring of fibre quality through bale  by bale classification of production and 
technological analyses on the HVI and AFIS-N chains; 
(b) monitoring of stickiness; 
(c) vocational training of classifiers. 
D. S
USTAINABLE FINANCING OF THE SECTOR  
(a) Setting up of a mechanism for support and stabilization of the purchase price for 
producers.  It is important that the results of the study conducted to that end should be 
implemented.  There is a need for a support mechanism or fond de lissage  (smoothing 
mechanism) to combat the fall in the price at which cotton is purchased from 
producers and which contributes to reducing the sown area; 
(b) introduction of a fund raising system for sustainable financing of the critical 
functions; 
(c) drafting and implementing of rules governing the sharing of risks and profits among 
the different actors in the sector. 
E. FOLLOW UP AND EVALUATION  
(a) Establishment of a cotton farming typology and setting up of an observatory to 
improve the data collection mechanism; 
(b) continued development of a database to monitor the sector's performance indicators; 
(c) preparation of statistical yearbooks on the cotton sector; 
(d) continuation and improvement of periodic surveys (production censuses and surveys); 
(e) specific studies; 
(f) continued implementation of communication activities; 
(g) acquisition of relevant publications to expa nd the documentary base of the Reference 
Centre. 
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