Benin has launched a national agricultural value chain program focused on cassava, yam, and sweet potato, a five-year initiative aimed at strengthening agro-industrial production, rural infrastructure and employment across several regions.
The Roots and Tubers Value Chain Development Project, which officially began activities Tuesday, runs from 2025 to 2030 with funding of about 63 million euros, according to information published by the government.
Financing comes from the Islamic Development Bank, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and the Benin government.
The program is expected to increase agricultural productivity, strengthen processing systems, expand market infrastructure and improve rural access roads.
Coverage spans the departments of Zou, Collines, Borgou, Donga, Plateau, Ouémé, Atlantique, Mono and Couffo. Target beneficiaries include smallholder farmers, seed producers, processors, traders, consumers and vulnerable groups, with an emphasis on youth and women’s employment.
Domestic processing forms a central component of the initiative, with industrial starch, bakery flour substitutes, chips, dehydrated products and livestock feed included in the expected output mix.
The Ministry of Agriculture said the policy objective centers on building a national industrial base capable of transforming local harvests into higher-value goods.
Madeleine Lafia Mora, secretary-general at the Ministry of Agriculture, said the initiative supports “a rural youth proud, entrepreneurial and innovative, finding real opportunity in modern agricultural value chains.”
Regional authorities and project partners expressed support for implementation through local government coordination and technical assistance.
