WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/CFMC/W/6 
11 April 2008 
 
 (08-1679) 
 Original:   French 
  
DIRECTOR-GENERAL'S CONSULTATIVE FRAMEWORK 
MECHANISM ON COTTON 
 
Cotton Projects
1 
 
Communication from Benin 
 
 
 The following communication, dated 22 November 2004, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of Benin.  
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PROJECT N° 6 - SUPPORT FOR IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY OF 
COTTON FARMS IN BENIN 
 
 1. Cotton plays, and will continue to play, a strate gic role in the Beninese economy owing to its 
importance in exports of domestic origin, the reve nue it brings to hundreds of thousands of rural and 
urban actors, and its utility as a catalyser in the modernization of farming techniques.   
2. However, since 1995, cotton production has stagna ted at about 350,000 tons, in spite of an 
increase of some 20 per cent in the sown area certain years.  
3. This situation is essentially due to the steady decline in exte nsion services, which employed 
about 900 agents in 1993 but now have fewer than 200, all with more than 25 years of service.   
4. With installed ginning capacity at about 550,0 00 tons, all of the actors are concerned by the 
level of production, which can only be im proved by significantly increasing yield.   
A. J
USTIFICATION  
5. Faced with the virtual disappearance of State agricultural services, the AIC, as soon as it was 
created, had no choice but to invest in technical support for producers.  Thus, in the cotton growing 
areas, extension agents recruited by the AIC account fo r 65 to 75 per cent of extension staff.  This has 
had a positive impact on the average national seed cotton yield, which rose from 845 kg/ha in 1998 to 150 kg/ha in 2003.  
6. The objective today is to reach a sustainable average yield of about 1,400 kg/ha while at the 
same time improving the profit margin of farms.   
7. To that end, the AIC intends to introdu ce a technical assistance mechanism for cotton 
producers that can be adapted accord ing to the progress achieved.   
                                                     
 
1 This project was distributed amongst the Development Community by e-mail on 18 August 2005. WT/CFMC/W/6 
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B. O
BJECTIVE  
8. To contribute to improving the productivity and profitability of cotton farms by introducing 
an advisory and extension system specific to the cotton growing areas.   
C. DESCRIPTION OF THE MAIN ACTIVITIES  
(a) Conducting a study on the technical support needs of cotton producers at the level of 
the 25 main cotton producing communes.   
(b) Identifying the high seed-cotton yield areas as well as the medium and low yield 
areas through a reference survey.    
(c) Evaluating advisory and extension tools currently used in Benin.   
(d) Organizing a five-year advisory and extension programme taking account of the 
different types of farms.   
(e) Recruiting extra management consu ltants and extension staff.   
(f) Training the staff recruited and retraining existing staff.    
(g) Supplying staff with the necessary equipment and means of transport.   
(h) Assigning agents on the basis of identifi ed technical support needs and as provided 
for under the programme.   
(i) Ensuring the proper functioning of the system.  
(j) Organizing different training courses for producers.   
(k) Developing and introducing an internal monitoring and assessment system.   
(l) Organizing of an external audit.  
D. EXPECTED RESULTS  
(a) Qualified technical support for Beninese cotton producers.    
(b) Regular assistance to 50,000 cotton farms each year.   
(c) Management training for 10 ,000 farm managers.   
(d) Improvement by 50 per cent of the average yield per hectare.    
(e) 25 per cent decrease in the average cost of seed grain production.  
E. COST:  CFA  FRANCS  7.5 billion  
(a) Year 1:  CFA Francs 1.88 billion.  
(b) Year 2:   CFA Francs 1.53 billion.  WT/CFMC/W/6 
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(c) Year 3:   CFA Francs 1.365 billion. 
(d) Year 4:   CFA Francs 1.33 billion. 
(e) Year 5:   CFA Francs 1.405 billion. 
F. ACTIVITIES TO BE FINANCED  
(a) Studies:  CFA Francs 150 million. 
(b) Purchase of vehicles (28):  CFA Francs 500 million. 
(c) Purchase of motorcycles (350):  CFA Francs 350 million. 
(d) Office supplies:  CFA Francs 100 million. 
(e) Equipment for agents in the field:  CFA Francs 75 million. 
(f) Training:  CFA Francs 325 million. 
(g) International expertise (3 months):  CFA Francs 50 million. 
(h) Extension agents' salaries (290):  CFA Francs 2.5 billion. 
(i) Salaries of management consultants (60):  CFA Francs 800 million. 
(j) Study travel:  CFA Francs 50 million. 
(k) Contracts with NGOs:  CFA Francs 100 million. 
(l) Other operating costs:  CFA Francs 2.44 billion.  
G. DURATION OF THE PROJECT :  five years.  
H. LOCATION :  all departments of Benin.  
I. IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS  
(a) The Interprofessional Cotton Association (AIC) is responsible for ensuring the 
participation of all of the actors of the co tton sub-sector in the implementation of this 
project.  
(b) The Direction de la  Formation Opérationnelle  et de la Vulgarisation Agricole 
(Directorate of Operational Training and Agricultural Extension) is in charge of coordination, follow-up, and technical support for the structures involved in the 
operational activities.   
(c) The Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin  (National Agricultural 
Research Institute of Benin), through its  different centres including the CRA-CF 
(Cotton and Fibre Agricultural Research Centre ), places at the disposal of the staff in 
charge of advisory and extension services the technological packages it has produced.  
It takes part in the training of technicians and in pre-extension activities.  WT/CFMC/W/6 
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(d) The professional agricultural organizations participate in designing and implementing 
the extension and advisory activities.   
(e) Two specialized NGOs will be recruited for the implementation of farm management 
consultancy services.  
 
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