Contrats agricoles informels et performance de la production vivrière : cas du maïs au sud du Bénin
2019
Gandonou E.A. | Kpènavoun Chogou S. | Adegbidi A.B.E.A. | Fafeh A.E.K.
Informal Contract-farming and Performance of Food Crop Production: The Case of Maize in the Southern of BeninIn Benin, some farmers produce maize under contract concluded with small-scale traders. This study aims at identifying the characteristics of this informal contract-farming and measuring its contribution to the performance of the production of this cereal. The data used are from a survey carried out in the south-east of Benin, one of the largest maize producing area of the country. The results of the study show that 'small' as well as 'large' farmers are well represented among the participants into the contract. The amount of credit received through the contract is substantial (70,000 FCFA per farmer) and used in priority to hire additional labour force employed in agriculture. Conflicts in this institutional arrangement are rare. Econometric analysis shows that farmers under contract have higher maize output per plot ( + 25%). There was a positive and significant relationship between participation into the contract and the maize area, but the link with the yield was not confirmed. The results of the study confirm that farmers' access to contract-farming contributes to agricultural finance and increased food crop production, but the effects on the productivity are not convincing. The study concludes that agricultural development policy should facilitate financial support to small-scale traders in order to promote decentralized private sector-based contract-farming that further motivate smallholder farmers to raise productivity.
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