In 2006, pineapple was among the crops selected by the government of Benin to potentially alleviate poverty by increasing private investment, yield and market access.

The Grow Africa team lead by Ibrahim Gourouza-Magagi,  Head of West and Central Africa region and the inter-professional Association of Pineapple of Benin, teamed up to launch the first inclusive pineapple multi-stakeholder platform in Cotonou, Benin, on 26 September.

The aim of the multi stakeholder platform is to bring together producers, processors, the distribution, research institutions and financiers in a more structured organisation.

One of the objective of the platform is to generate business cases to match investment opportunities.  

Attended by more than 50 people, the launch highlighted the need to make Benin’s pineapple value chain a top priority for agriculture investors.  

For Mme Francoise Assogba Komlan, Permanent Secretariat of the Ministry of Agriculture in Benin, “The Government of President Patrice Talon fully subscribes to the support provided by Grow Africa to increase production and improve the profitability of the pineapple entire value chain.”  She delivered the key note speech at the launch on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Benin

At the top of the agenda for the multi-stakeholder platform is:

• Drafting of a roadmap to achieving the transformation of the pineapple sector in Benin
• Drafting of an advocacy and promotion policy of the pineapple industry in Benin
• Promotion of research and technological innovation for the development of the pineapple sector in Benin
• Strengthening the capacities of the stakeholders of the pineapple value chain within the working groups of the platform.

President of the Pineapple Inter-professional Association Ms Marcos, remarked that “Presently Benin produces 400 000 t of pineapple per year. I am of the view that with a well-structured platform, we can double our production in the next three years.”

Given the importance of this sector, the multi-stakeholder platform plans to substantially increase the production of quality pineapples and to improve the marketing of fresh fruit and its by-products in order to contribute to the diversification of exports. More specifically, it aims to increase pineapple production from the current level to promote the local processing of pineapples and to facilitate access to pineapple and its derivatives regional and international markets.

Source: Grow Africa