WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/CFMC/W/5 
11 April 2008 
 
 (08-1678) 
 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.  
_______________ 
 
PROJECT N° 5 - SUPPORT PROJECT FOR THE INSTALLATION OF BASIC 
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF COTTON-GROWING 
IN THE REPUBLIC OF BENIN 
 A. S
UMMARY  
1. Aware that an improvement in transport conditi ons is indispensable for alleviating the poverty 
of the rural population, the Government of Benin de fined its approach in 1995 in its "Letter on Rural 
Development Policy" and again, in 1996, in its "G overnment Transport Strategy Paper".  In these two 
documents, the emphasis was placed on the need to improve the state of rural tracks and progressively 
transfer their management to the beneficiaries. 
2. The present project for the development of cotton growing is inte nded to support the 
Government's policy on reducing poverty and improving the living conditions of the more isolated 
communities.  This support is aimed at making the movement of persons and goods possible all year 
round, securing production factors, involving the benefi ciaries in track maintenance, and developing 
small and medium enterprises in the building and public works sector. 
3. The project covers 7 departments and 19 commune s.  It will cost CFA Francs 10.140 billion, 
exclusive of tax, and will involve 600 km of upgr ading and maintenance;  it is estimated that the 
project will take 6 years to complete.   It will follow on from the pilot track upgrading and 
maintenance project in the departments of Borgou  and Zou, jointly financed by the AFD, the 
European Union, the Republic of Benin and the beneficiaries. 
4. The partners are expected to finance 100 percent of the upgrading costs, while the 
beneficiaries will pay 100 percent of the subsequent maintenance. 
B. INTRODUCTION  
5. Aware that an improvement in transport conditi ons is indispensable for alleviating the poverty 
of the rural population, the Government of Benin de fined its approach in 1995 in its "Letter on Rural 
                                                      
1 This project was distributed amongst the Development Community by e-mail on 18 August 2005. WT/CFMC/W/5 
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  Development Policy" and again, in 1996, in its "Government Transport Strategy Paper".  In these 
two documents, the emphasis was placed on the n eed to improve the state of rural tracks and 
progressively transfer their management to the beneficiaries. 
6. The present project for the development of cotton growing is inte nded to support the 
Government's policy on reducing poverty and improving the living conditions of the more isolated 
communities. 
C. B
ACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION  
7. Benin's economy is mainly based on the primary sector in which agriculture plays a leading 
part.  Accordingly, the country n eeds an infrastructure to serve the rural areas and meet the demand 
for transport associated with the movement of ag ricultural inputs, the marketing of agricultural 
products, and the development of farming and commerce.   Great efforts have been made to establish a 
network of rural tracks but many places remain isolated. 
8. The resources made available by our developmen t partners and those allocated by the State in 
its ordinary budget fall short of the expressed needs. 
9. The rural track upgrading and maintenance proj ect in the departments of Borgou and Zou, 
jointly financed by the AFD and the European Union, only partia lly covers these two departments, 
without taking into account all the factors associat ed with the growing and marketing of cotton such 
as those linked with the storage of inputs and seed.  The present project, which will supplement the 
AFD-EU project, makes provision for serving the rural areas and storing inputs and seed. 
D. OBJECTIVES  
10. The global objectives are: 
(a) to reduce rural poverty; 
(b) to improve the living conditions of the population of the project area; 
(c) to transfer responsibility to user s and local decision-makers;  and 
(d) more specifically to end the isolation of the populations of the departments of 
Atacora, Donga, Borgou, Alibori, Collines, Zou and Couffo. 
E. LOCATION OF THE PROJECT  
11. The project will concern the cotton-producing depa rtments, i.e. 7 of Benin's 12 departments, 
namely: 
(a) Atacora (communes of Kérou, Kouandé, Péhunco and Toucountouna); 
(b) Donga (communes of Copargo and Bassila); 
(c) Alibori (communes of Bani koara, Gogounou and Kandi); 
(d) Borgou (communes of Kalalé and N´dali); 
(e) Collines (communes of Glazoué, Dassa Zoumé and Savalou);  WT/CFMC/W/5 
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(f) Zou (communes of Djidja  and Agbangnizoun);  and 
(g) Couffo (communes of Djakotomey, Aplahoué and Klouékanmè). 
F. INTERVENTION STRATEGY  
12. The general approach to project implementati on will be based on the principles of the new 
rural track strategy of the Republic of Benin, namely: 
(a) an integrated participatory approach; 
(b) observance of the standards on laying out rural tracks; 
(c) transfer of responsibility to the beneficiaries;  and 
(d) cost optimization. 
G. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT COMPONENTS  
13. The project will consist of four components, namely: 
(i) Track upgrading 
14. The upgrading work will include regraveling and reshaping the track surface, digging ditches, 
and laying and/or repairing drains.  These works will extend over 600 km of tracks in 7 different 
departments. 
(ii) Track maintenance 
15. Poor maintenance results in the deterioration of not only the track but also all the related 
infrastructure installed as part of the upgrading process which becomes gradually less accessible;  to 
prevent this and make maintenance a routine task, th e project will support a complete 4-year cycle of 
maintenance of the upgraded tracks.  As the u sers will have to assume the entire responsibility for 
maintenance, the project will support regu lar inspection of the maintenance work. 
(iii) Construction of warehouses 
16. In each commune the project will provide for the construction of one or more warehouses for 
storing inputs and seed, with a total area of 5,400 m2.  The size of these warehouses will be proportional to cotton production. 
(iv) Accompanying measures 
17. These involve: 
(a) raising the awareness of users in order to collect the funds needed to finance 
maintenance;  and 
(b) training those concerned in the skills needed to manage the project. WT/CFMC/W/5 
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H. O
RGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PROJECT  
18. The implementation of the project will be based on an organization comprising: 
(a) the Ministry of Agriculture, Livest ock and Fisheries, as the owner; 
(b) the local authorities organized in a manner still to be determined , as delegate owners, 
supported by a firm of c onsulting engineers;  and 
(c) the Rural Engineering Directorate, as project manager, supported by a firm of 
consulting engineers. 
19. The implementation and management of the project will be overseen by a financially 
independent project implementation unit reporting to the Rural Engineering Directorate.  The 
personnel of this unit will mainly consist of ci vil servants backed up in certain categories by 
contractors recruited by competitive bidd ing and paid out of the project funds. 
I. DURATION OF THE PROJECT  
20. The project is expected to take six years, by which time the maintenance system should be 
sufficiently well established for it to be po ssible to dispense with outside assistance. 
J. COST OF THE PROJECT  
21. The rough cost of the project is estimated at  CFA Francs 10.14 billion excluding tax, broken 
down as follows: 
(a) Survey of tracks: CFA Francs 270 million; 
(b) Upgrading of tracks: CFA Francs 6,300 million; 
(c) Maintenance of tracks: CFA Francs 270 million; 
(d) Warehouse design: CFA Francs 20 million; 
(e) Warehouse construction: CFA Francs 1,080 million; 
(f) Technical assistance: CFA Francs 1,200 million; 
(g) Accompanying measures: CFA Francs 500 million; 
(h) Institutional support and operation: CFA Francs 560 million. 
K. FINANCING  
22. The project will be jointly financed by the de velopment partners, the Republic of Benin and 
the beneficiary communities in proportions to be determined following studies based on the socio-
economic situation in the areas concerned and the actual capabilities of the target groups. 
23. The partners will pay for all the upgrading work , the design and survey work, the construction 
of the warehouses, the technical assistance, the accompanying measures and institutional support, and 
the operation of the project implementation unit, i.e. CFA Francs 9,870 million, while the 
beneficiaries will contribute the remaining CFA Francs 270 million.   
   WT/CFMC/W/5
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L. INDICATIVE PLANNING SCHEDULE  
 
 
No. 
 Activity Year 1 Year 2 Year  3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 
1 Approve/finalize project document                                     
2 Raise funds                                     
3 Set up project implementation unit                                     
4 Recruit/deploy consulting engineers                                     
5 Design phase                                     
6 Award contracts                                     
7 Carry out the works                                     
8 Track maintenance                                     
9 Raise awareness, mobilize support                                     
10 Set up management committees                                     
11 Training measures                                     
 
 WT/CFMC/W/5 
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  M. D
URATION OF PROJECT :  the project is expected to take 6 years. 
N. LOCATION OF PROJECT :  AIC  Benin. 
O. PARTNERS :  Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries;  AIC;  organized local 
authorities;  Rural Engineering Directorate;  and  a consulting engineering firm.  WT/CFMC/W/5 
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  ANNEX:  LOGICAL FRAMEWORK 
 
 
 RATIONALE VERIFIABLE 
INDICATORS MEANS OF 
VERIFICATION ASSUMPTIONS 
Global objectives Reduce poverty 
  
 
 Improve living 
conditions of 
population of project area 
 
Transfer 
responsibility to 
beneficiaries and local decision-
makers Trend of socio-
economic indicators: - agricultural 
production 
- post-harvest losses  
 
  
 
Financial flows 
associated with 
contributions by beneficiaries Socio-economic 
surveys  
 
  
 
  
 
Track 
maintenance fund  
Specific objective End isolation of 
cotton-producing areas Traffic development 
  
Annual maintenance 
costs/track  maintained  
Effectiveness of 
maintenance in terms of usability  
  
 
 Reports Establishment of 
track management committees 
Traffic counting 
Expected results 1,500 km of tracks 
usable year-round 
  
Decentralized 
management of the network 
 
 
 
Transfer of responsibility for 
ownership Track length upgraded 
 
  
Management of 
maintenance fund  
 
 Reports 
Number of 
management committees 
formed Economic 
situation 
favourable  
The SMEs have 
the necessary skills  
 
Decentralization 
effective 
Activities Upgrading of tracks 
Maintenance of upgraded tracks 
 
Raising awareness of users 
 
  
Training measures 
 Track length upgraded 
and maintained  
 
Number of peasant farmer organizations 
made aware 
  
Organization of 
training seminars (number)  
  
 
  
Reports  
 
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