WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/CFMC/W/8 
11 April 2008 
 
 (08-1681) 
 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° 8 - ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF STATISTICAL DATA 
ON THE COTTON SUB-SECTOR IN BENIN 
 
 
1. The cotton sub-sector remains the driving force behind the country's economy, and it is as 
important to the modern sector as it is to rural co mmunities.  It employs close to 60 per cent of the 
country's agricultural population.  Indeed, cotton h as accounted for three-quarters of Benin's export 
revenue over the past few years. 
2. Since the signature of its first structural ad justment programme (PAS), Benin has undertaken 
to liberalize its economy, and hence its agriculture , as confirmed in the Letter of Rural Development 
Policy of 1991.  It is in this context that the pr ocess of liberalization was launched in the cotton sector, 
a process which has led to the establishment of priv ate institutions responsible for managing the sub-
sector's main operations, including the Inter-P rofessional Cotton Association (AIC).   
3. In this connection, the AIC inherited a number of activities aimed at promoting cotton 
production, including the establishment of statistics on the cotton sub-sector. 
A. J
USTIFICATION  
4. Among other missions, the AIC is responsible  for facilitating communication between the 
different professional branches of the cotton sub-sector with a view to arriving at a number of agreements.  In order to do so, it must have acces s to reliable, updated, an d relevant information 
concerning each and every component of the sub-sect or.  Statistics form the basis for the estimates 
and prospective analyses that determine the strategi es and decisions of all of the actors concerned, 
including the State and the development partners. 
5. Unfortunately, the cotton sub-sector in Benin lacks its own statistical data with which to draw 
up a medium- and long-term management strategy .  This makes it difficult to acquire a proper 
understanding of the sub-sector and to manage its problems.  In these circumstances, the AIC may not 
                                                     
 
1 This project was distributed amongst the Development Community by e-mail on 18 August 2005. WT/CFMC/W/8 
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  be able to fully assume its leading role in im plementing the sectoral reforms needed to ensure 
sustainable competitiveness. 
6. Thus, there is an urgent need for a database ma nagement system for the cotton sub-sector, that 
is, a methodology for collecting statistical data as well as human, material, and financial resources to 
create, within a reasonable time-frame, a database th at would ensure proper ma nagement of statistics 
on the sub-sector. 
B. O
BJECTIVE  
7. Helping the AIC to assume the management of the cotton sub-sector in Benin so that it can 
play its leading role in ensuring sustainable competitiveness. 
C. DESCRIPTION OF THE MAIN ACTIVITIES  
(a) Identification of all information relating to the activities of all of the actors involved 
in, or contributing to, the development of the sub-sector; 
(b) survey of all cotton producers; 
(c) introduction of efficient data collection methods; 
(d) introduction of a permanent a nd functional mechanism for collecting data from all of 
the actors identified; 
(e) recruitment and training of in terviewers and supervisors; 
(f) purchase of the necessary equipment; 
(g) purchase of vehicles; 
(h) recruitment and training of entry clerks; 
(i) organization of feedback meetings and di scussions among the different actors of the 
sub-sector; 
(j) setting up of an efficient mechanism to process survey data; 
(k) interconnection of all of the actors of the sub-sector through an internet network in 
order to improve the  management of information; 
(l) training of all those concerned; 
(m) recruitment of a consultant; 
(n) preparation of statistical yearbooks on the cotton sub-sector in Benin;  and 
(o) conducting of different surveys on the activities of the sub-sector. 
D. EXPECTED RESULTS  
(a) More reliable results from the different  surveys conducted in the sub-sector; 
(b) statistical yearbooks on the cotton sector in Benin;  WT/CFMC/W/8 
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  (c) introduction of a sampling frame; 
(d) interconnection of all the actors in  a common information network; 
(e) establishment of a monitoring unit for cotton farms; 
(f) information and motivation of the actors of the sub-sector; 
(g) classification of cotton farms;  and 
(h) implementation of a cotton statistics database. 
E. COST:  CFA  FRANCS 3,910  MILLION  
(a) Year 1:  CFA Francs 1,190 million; 
(b) Year 2:  CFA Francs 630 million; 
(c) Year 3:  CFA Francs 700 million; 
(d) Year 4:  CFA Francs 740 million; 
(e) Year 5:  CFA Francs 650 million. 
F. ACTIVITIES TO BE FINANCED  
(a) Purchase of computer equipment = CFA Francs 100 million; 
(b) database conception (software) = CFA Francs 25 million; 
(c) staff (300 interviewers and superv isors) = CFA Francs 270 million; 
(d) publications, meetings, and feedb ack and methodology workshops = 
CFA Francs 100 million ; 
(e) supervision and coordination = CFA Francs 50 million; 
(f) internal and external follow-up and evaluation = CFA Francs 100 million; 
(g) purchase of survey accessories = CFA Francs 50 million; 
(h) purchase of small survey equipment = CFA Francs 50 million; 
(i) international expertise (6 months) = CFA Francs 90 million; 
(j) purchase of IT consumables = CFA Francs 20 million; 
(k) purchase of motorcycles for interviewers (300) = CFA Francs 150 million; 
(l) operational expenses = CFA Francs 60 million; 
(m) purchase of vehicles for supervisors (2) = CFA Francs 30 million; 
(n) entry clerks (10) = CFA Francs 18 million; WT/CFMC/W/8 
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  (o) computer specialists (2) = CFA Francs 12 million; 
(p) staff training = CFA Francs 100 million; 
(q) study travel = CFA Francs 25 million. 
 
TABLE:  FINANCIAL PLANNIN G OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES 
 
Amount in millions of CFA francs 
 
Activities Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total 
Computer equipment 100 9    100 
Database (Software) 25     25 
Survey staff (150) 270 270 275 275 280 1,370 
Publications, workshop 100 100 100 100 100 500 
Supervision and coordination 50 50 50 50 50 250 
Follow-up and evaluation 100 100 100 100 100 500 
Survey accessories 50   50  100 
Small survey equipment 50   50  100 
International expertise (6 months) 90     90 
IT consumables 20 20 20 20 20 100 
Motorcycles for interviewers 150     150 
Operational expenses 60 60 65 65 70 320 
Vehicles for supervisors 30     30 
Entry clerks (10) 18 18 18 18 18 90 
Computer specialists (2) 12 12 12 12 12 60 
Staff training 50  50   100 
Study travel 15  10   25 
TOTAL 1,190 630 700 740 650 3,910 
 
G. DURATION :  five years. 
H. LOCATION :  throughout the national territory. 
I. IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS :  AIC in cooperation with the technical services of the professional 
organizations in the sub-sector and the administration. 
 
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