Bénin/Promotion de l'entrepreneuriat et des exploitations agricoles : Le FNDA fait des heureux à Matéri et Cobly

In Matéri and Cobly, two communes in the Atacora region, the beneficiaries of several projects to build agricultural product processing units, storage warehouses, rice-growing perimeters and boreholes are all smiles. From March 16 to 22, 2025, a joint FNDA - BUCO COTONOU - CONSORTIUM SWICCONTACT-LARES mission went to see the completion of work on these infrastructures.

"We are now able to process our agricultural products in healthy conditions. Concerns about water availability are a thing of the past, as are our difficulties in storing products from our farms. The Fonds National de Développement Agricole (FNDA) now enables us to produce, store and process our products in the best possible conditions, thereby adding value and generating profits. These are the comments of the beneficiaries of the projects carried out. They made this known loud and clear, and were warmly welcomed by the members of the mission to all the projects visited.

At Yédékanhoun in Matéri and at Nouagou in Cobly, shea butter processing units have been built, equipped with drying areas.These will benefit the village cooperatives of organic shea butter collectors and processors in Yédékanhoun and Nouagou. In Tanda, Cobly, the Cooperative des producteurs de riz (rice producers' cooperative) has benefited from a rice processing unit, with a building to house a hulling machine.to house a hulling machine; a drying area with the acquisition of a 150 kg weighing machine and five drying tarpaulins. At Serhounguè in Cobly, a soya cheese processing unit has been set up for the Tiribena Village Cooperative of Soya Processors, complete with a drying area and fencing.

At Didori in Cobly, a 500-tonne storage warehouse for agricultural products, complete with office, equipment and drying area, has been built for the local union of maize producers. A 200-ton storage warehouse for the Coopérative de production de riz de Douangou à Bagapodi in Cobly, equipped with a drying area and the purchase of tarpaulins.and the acquisition of tarpaulins, and the development of a one-hectare market-gardening area with wire fencing. In the village of Kanadèguè in Cobly, a 200-ton rice storage warehouse has been set up for the benefit of the TILIHIKINA village rice producers' cooperative. In addition to the warehouse, there is a drying area and a one-hectare market-gardening perimeter with wire fencing.

At Koudengou in Natitingou, and at all the sites visited except Didori, there are seven boreholes equipped with mini-water cakes, solar systems and spare parts. The Koudengou site is also home to a one-hectare market-gardening perimeter with a wire fence. A 100-hectare rice-growing scheme for grassroots members of the Union Départementale des Producteurs de l'Atacora et de la Donga is currently being rehabilitated at Koudengou. Thanks to Swiss Cooperation, the FNDA has financed these projects to the tune of over a billion FCFA.

FNDA Managing Director Nicolas AHOUISSOUSSI pointed out that the projects selected since 2020 were still pending. However, when he took up his post in 2023, the necessary steps were taken to comply with the Head of State's motto of having no white elephants under his governance. "The results are satisfactory. The quality of the infrastructure is good. For me, this is a real source of satisfaction," he enthused.

"Wealth is being created locally. Business links are being forged between players in different sectors. Beyond that, social ties are created and the value chain is consolidated", explained Mr Dossa AGUEMON, Director of Cabinet for the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries.

Mr Salihou MAMADOU ALIDOU, Head of the Swiss Cooperation Program, praised the good synergy between the state structures involved, the municipalities, the beneficiary cooperatives and the financial partner for the effective implementation of the selected projects.

Robert KASSA WIMBO, Mayor of Matéri, and Séraphin Périmou NAMBIMA, Mayor of Cobly, thanked the FNDA and the Swiss Cooperation.

Source: www.gouv.bj/