VISIT TO SONAMA IN BENIN FROM NOVEMBER 12 TO NOVEMBER 17, 2023

From November 12 to 17, 2023, a delegation from Ivoire Coton (made up of Ivoire Coton agents and producers) led by the Managing Director, visited Benin as part of a study tour of the National Agricultural Mechanization Company (SONAMA). It is a structure initially created by the Beninese government, which makes great efforts to help producers mechanize and modernize their agriculture by facilitating their access to mechanization equipment, small-scale irrigation and training.

• agricultural mechanization in Benin and
• innovations underway to improve soil fertility through new tillage techniques.

The delegation visited a number of sites, including :

• The Ouidah site : where the delegation was able to observe SONAMA's range of tractors (Mahindra and Case) and implements;
• The Permanent Experimentation Center (CPE) of Parakou which houses the experiments of the TAZCO project where a trial of collection or production of improving plants and a trial of cotton/corn crop rotation associated with Stylosanthes/Sorghum associated with soya are carried out in place ;
• The Parakou demonstration site, where the delegation attended the 2nd edition of the mechanized harvest day, during which the mechanized harvest of cotton, corn and soya was presented;
• A peasant farm with an area of 10 hectares where soil conservation for agriculture is practiced with Stylosanthes and Mucuna;

The main conclusions drawn from the visit were as follows :

• The mechanization of agricultural operations has made great progress in Benin ;
• The use of plant improvers in the cropping system is still at the experimental stage;

For future campaigns, Ivoire Coton will be able to carry out the following actions :

• Acquire and test materials and agricultural equipment from SONAMA at the M’Bengué and Boundiali observation posts;
• Test new technical routes including improving plants.