WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/CFMC/W/40 
13 October 2008 
 
 (08-4859) 
 Original:   French 
  
 
DIRECTOR-GENERAL'S CONSULTATIVE FRAMEWORK 
MECHANISM ON COTTON 
 
Cotton Projects
 
 
Communication from Benin 
 
  The following communication, dated 7 October 2008, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of Benin. 
 
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DIAGNOSTIC STUDY ON THE DOWNTURN IN COTTON YIELDS 
  
I. STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS AND JUSTIFICATION 
1. The cotton sector is a key component of economic activity in Benin, as it is in many other 
African countries.  Cotton production in West a nd Central Africa exceeds 1.1 million tonnes, which 
represents some 5 per cent of world output and 12 to  13 per cent of the cotton fibre placed on sale on 
the world market. 
2. Cotton accounts for 40 per cent of Benin's foreign currency earnings, 12 to 13 per cent of its 
GDP and more than one-third of its population's income.  Cotton is an important sector for socio-
economic development and thus contributes to th e fight against poverty.  Cotton production is 
therefore a key driving force for the rural economy as a whole (marketing in all areas of farming).  Generally speaking, it also plays a major role in th e maintenance of rural di rt roads.  It enables 
producers to have access to the agricultural input s needed for the maintenance of soil fertility 
(fertilizers) and to combat crop pests (insecticides  and weed killers), thereby benefiting all other 
agricultural ventures (maize, cowpeas, market gardeni ng, etc.).  Producers are also enabled to improve 
their technical farming skills, thus generating in come that can be used to purchase agricultural 
equipment and satisfy other needs (childre n's schooling, access to health care, etc.). 
3. For some years, there has been a steady downward trend in cotton fibre prices, particularly in 
long established areas of cotton production, which je opardizes the profitability of the sector, reduces 
producer income and thus constitutes a cause for na tional concern.  At the same time, yields are 
stagnating or even declining – that at least bei ng the trend which emerges from the statistics.  A 
variety of reasons for this trend have been id entified:  declining soil fertility, climate changes 
unfavourable to farming activities, the emergence of phenomena of resistance to insecticides in pests, 
failure to make the best use of inputs due to di fficulties of supply and dist ribution, and inadequate 
technical training of producers. WT/CFMC/W/40 
Page 2  
 
  4. In this context, it is necessary to support the se ctor by developing efficient technical strategies 
and identifying factors for the im proved organization of the sector  with a view to achieving 
competitive and sustainable output.  First, though, it is  urgently necessary to elucidate the reasons for 
these reduced yields.  Research on imbalances in soil and in the integrated system of diagnosis and 
recommended action are approaches that could help to define the problem.  Taken together with 
farmers' perception of the issue, they constitute defi nite assets for overcoming the constraints.  On the 
basis of the foregoing, the system of diagnosis and recommended action, in conjunction with the nutritional state of the soil and farmers' perceptions  on declining yields may be workable hypotheses 
for dealing with the difficulties.  Prior to such a study, it would be worthwhile to identify observable 
deficiencies as a way of elucidating the problem areas. 
II. OBJECTIVES 
A. O
VERALL OBJECTIVE  
5. It will be necessary to study the problem of d eclining yields through a rapid diagnosis of 
observable deficiencies in leaves and to assess cationic imbalances, on the one hand, and farmers' perceptions, on the other, in a number of cotton-pr oducing fields in the communes of Banikoara and 
Malanville. 
B. S
PECIFIC OBJECTIVES  
• Assess and evaluate observable deficiencies; 
 
• study cationic imbalances through soil analyses; 
 
• ascertain farmers' views on the downward tr end in yields in some cotton-producing 
localities. 
 
III. METHODOLOGY 
6. One hundred and fifty farmers will be selected for observation purposes.  The diagnostic 
study will be carried out in all the communes of the different departments with established and new 
cotton farms. 
7. Plates will be used to measure nutrient deficiency.  The percentage of fields with deficiencies 
will be evaluated.  This will make it possible to co nfirm or rule out the hypothesis of soil nutrient 
deficiency. 
8. Four soil samples will be taken from fields di splaying advanced soil degradation as evidenced 
by low yields in the 2006-2007 crop year.  Representatives of the Village Cotton Producers 
Group (GVPC) of the two communes will help to id entify producers whose na mes are included in the 
table set out below, as well as those w hose fields are significantly degraded. 
9. Chemical analyses, particularly of soil pH an d exchangeable cations, will be used to study 
soil imbalances.  In addition, foliar diagnosis will be combined with a survey of protagonists in order 
to ascertain their views on the declining yields  observed in established cotton-growing areas in 
particular. 
10. The survey will be conducted after producers ha ve been divided into high and low-yield 
sub-groups.  A sample of 50 indi vidual producers will be selected fo r each locality.  In addition, a 
semi-structured questionnaire will be addressed to th e heads of the producer organizations (OP) of the 
two localities.  WT/CFMC/W/40 
 Page 3 
 
 
  11. An analysis of the results of the survey, comb ined with those of the integrated system of 
diagnosis and recommended action, will enable us to  obtain a more precise picture of the problem of 
declining yields recorded in cotton growing areas in recent years. 
IV. RESOURCES TO BE DEPLOYED 
Description Quantity Unit cost 
per day Total 
amount 
(CFAF) 
Travel for main researchers/Regional Centre for Agricultural Promotion(CeRPA) (x6 CeRPA) 30 person/days x2x6 45,000 16,200,000
Drivers travel (1 driver/CeRPA) 30 days x6 20,000 3,600,000
Sample collection equipment Lump sum 2,000 20,000,000
Travel kilometres (fuel) 3000 x 6 250 4,500,000
Analysis of foliar samples 1000 10,000 10,000,000
Technicians 4 x 60 man-days 15,000 3,600,000
Physico-chemical analyses of soil samples 100 15,000 1,500,000
Office supplies Lump sum 500,000 2,000,000
Data capture and printing Lump sum 200,000 250,000
Total   60,100,000
 
12. The total cost amounts to sixty million one hundred thousand CFA francs (CFAF 60,100,000). 
 
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