The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, Adin Yeton Bloukounon Goubalan, recently concluded a comprehensive three-day national tour. From the central regions to the north of the country, the executive’s message was unequivocal: Bénin must cease exporting its raw materials and instead process its agricultural output domestically. This pivotal shift is designed to guarantee national food security and foster economic prosperity.
The Béninese government has embarked on an urgent mission to modernize its agricultural sector. Between June 11 and 13, Minister Adin Yeton Bloukounon Goubalan meticulously visited several key agricultural hubs, including Paouignan, Glazoué, and Parakou. The primary objective of this extensive journey was to personally ensure that the head of state’s vision—a definitive end to raw product exports—is rapidly becoming an industrial reality across the nation.
Rice and cassava: charting a course towards food self-sufficiency
Significant progress is evident in the rice sector, offering a major step towards reducing import dependency. In Glazoué, the agro-industrial group Premium, already a prominent entity in paddy rice processing, announced a substantial acceleration of its investments. A third state-of-the-art processing unit is currently under construction in Dangbo. This new industrial facility is projected to boost the group’s overall capacity from 300,000 to an impressive 500,000 tonnes of rice annually, providing a crucial boost to Bénin’s food independence from imported Asian rice.
Concurrently, in Paouignan, the focus is on cassava, often referred to as the ‘white gold’ of the soil. Work on a new local processing plant is nearing completion. This advanced industrial complex will produce gari, tapioca, and, most notably, panifiable flour—a strategic alternative aimed at significantly reducing wheat imports. A groundbreaking feature of this initiative is its innovative management model: an unprecedented co-management structure involving both the private sector and local producer groups. This collaborative approach is specifically designed to ensure equitable profit distribution and secure vital rural employment opportunities.
Cashew: combating illicit trade
While local processing initiatives are advancing, they face a considerable challenge: the consistent availability of raw materials. In the cashew sector, local processors are sounding the alarm over the alarming leakage of raw nuts to neighboring countries.
Minister Goubalan adopted a firm stance on this critical issue. The government is committed to intensifying border controls and prioritizing the allocation of raw cashew stocks for factories established within the national territory. From the executive’s perspective, allowing raw nuts to exit the country is equivalent to exporting valuable job opportunities for Béninese youth.
Cotton: targeting 700,000 tonnes with incentive bonuses
The tour concluded with a focus on the most sensitive aspect of Bénin’s agricultural economy: cotton. Following three successive campaigns marked by a decline in production, the government is determined to revitalize the sector. An ambitious target of 700,000 tonnes has been set for the 2026-2027 campaign.
To re-energize producers and bolster their purchasing power amidst rising input costs, the President of the Republic has introduced a powerful incentive: an exceptional bonus of 10 FCFA per kilogram of cotton produced. This financial incentive will be disbursed as soon as the national threshold of 700,000 tonnes is surpassed.
Through a combination of stringent measures against contraband, financial bonuses for producers, and large-scale industrial projects, Bénin is actively shaping a more resilient agricultural economy. While logistical and climatic hurdles persist, the political will to achieve these transformative goals appears deeply rooted and unwavering across the nation.
