Agricultural advisory services in Benin: footprints, pathway and

perspectives

Ismail Moumouni, Judith Francis

Faculty of Agriculture, University of Parakou, BeninCTA, The Netherlands

Outline

• Objective and rational• Policy analysis framework and methods• Evolution of agricultural development policies• Evolution of extension policies and approaches• Current status• Key learning and perspectives

Objective and rational

• Based on case study of agricultural advisory services in Benin commissioned by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation in 2011

• Aims at presenting the evolution and perspectives of the agricultural advisory services

• Feed current debate and provide evidence for policy making

Policy analysis framework and methods

1960 2010

Agricultural

development policies

Benin

• Location : West Africa• Border countries: Nigeria, Niger,

Burkina Faso, Togo• Stretch: 112 620 km2• Population : 8.5 millions• 12 departments and 77 districts• Farmers: 60%• Main products: cotton, groundnut,

pineapple, maize, sorghum, etc.

Evolution of agricultural development policies

1960

1975

Letter of rural development policy

statement1991

- Reinforcement of privatisation - Strengthening of farmers associations- Towards demand-driven services

2000

2010

Policy statement of rural development

Strategic plan for boosting the

agricultural sector

Action plan for agric development

- Market-oriented agriculture- Public-Private partnership

Evolution of extension policies and approaches

TVS with Village level participatory approach

Demand-driven extension

1960

1975

1985…

1996

1998…

Public extension organisations organised extension, input and

credit supply, marketing, experimentation, etc.

1991

Advice to farm family: CeRPA + NGOs+FO

- Technical advice

- Management advice

- Limitation of public services to extension

-Liberalisation of extension- National Agric Ext. System

Diagnostic and planning conducted

at village level

Current status: Public extension services: Training and visits

D

e

6°

7°

8°

9°

10

11

°1

2

°

1 ° 2 ° 3 ° 4 °

c

*

Niger

0 1 0 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 km

NigeriaTogo

Burkina Faso

Ministry of Agriculture

Regional Centres for Agricultural Promotion

District Centres for Agricultural Promotion

Matter specialists, Extension agents

Farmers

• Policy making

• Definition of AAS principles

• Developing approaches with technical support of development agencies

• Identification of the types of AAS to provide to farmers

• Definition of the role of stakeholders

White book on AAS

Subsidiarity

Complementarity

Mutual trust

Contractualisation

Free adherence

Cost sharingPrinciples of

agricultural advisory services in Benin

Current status

Swiss technical cooperation

Belgian technical cooperation

French technical cooperation

Ministry of agriculture

National Farmer Organisation and

privates

Dutch technical cooperationStakeholders

Current status

AAS providers

CADG

GERME

LARES

CRED

GERED

IAMDGERDA

CeRPA/CeCPA

FUPRO/URP

GERME

MRJC

IAMD

FUPRO/URP

Current status

Capacity buildingCurrent status

Swiss technical cooperation

Belgian technical cooperation

Dutch technical cooperation

French technical cooperation

Ministry of agriculture

National Farmer Organisation and

privates

PADYP2008-2013EUR 14,800,000

PROCOTON2009-2013USD 6,000,000

ASPAP2006-2011

FAFA 2008-2013EUR 6,145,000

PARFCB2009-2012EUR13,263,100 

Projects and funding

Current advisory service projects and funding

Key learnings et perspectives• Successive policy reforms reinforced the process of

privatization• Privatization did not give full satisfaction• Local stakeholders were not well prepared to implement new

policies and approaches• Public support to AAS is still required• Regulation and coordination need improvement• Collaboration platforms need to be strengthen: Benin Forum

for AAS is going to be established • Framework for agricultural advisory services exists

Key learnings et perspectives

• Lack of information makes it difficult to capture the impact of advisory services

• Need for capacity development, especially for policy making, ICT use, Networking and impact assessment

• Starting collaboration between agricultural faculties/schools and development workers

• Networking at continental and international levels: in Africa through AFAAS and worldwide through GFRAS

Thank you for your attention

Merci pour votre attention