Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Angèle M. ADANLE
Published on 2024-04-12 17:44:00
The Ministry of Agriculture has reacted to the surge in the price of corn, which has been fluctuating between 400 and 450 CFA francs for the past few weeks, depending on the sellers and their purchase price.
Corn is one of the most consumed staple foods in Benin. Moreover, it is a basic food for the Beninese population. However, its price has increased drastically in the past 4 weeks. According to consumers, corn is being sold at 400 francs per kilogram by some sellers and at 450 francs by others.
While the population criticizes this gradual increase in the price of this essential product, the head of the corn program at the territorial agricultural development agency ATDA 2, Yves Hountondji, explained the causes of this growing increase in an interview with Bip Radio.
Abusive stockpiling
The Head of the national program for the development of the corn sector in Benin, Yves Hountondji, explained that the surge in the price of corn is due to a combination of internal and external factors. According to him, traders who accumulated significant stocks when corn was cheaper have contributed to the current situation.
Additionally, thanks to projects and programs aimed at developing producers, pre-financing systems and price monitoring have been implemented, putting pressure on production at the producer level. “These producers have set up systems such as warehouses where stocks are stored,” he explained.
As for external factors, Yves Hountondji mentioned that the high demand for corn for human and animal consumption in other countries such as Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Chad has put additional pressure on the Beninese market. These countries, facing production deficits, have turned to Benin to source corn, creating increased competition and price hikes.
Climate disruptions…
Climate disruptions, including delays and excessive rainfall, have also been pointed out as factors that have impacted corn production this year. However, Yves Hountondji emphasized that despite these challenges, production has not decreased to the point of jeopardizing the satisfaction of corn needs.
“In certain regions, we experienced some rainfall disruptions that came late… at certain times or came too early… nevertheless, what we are experiencing is not solely due to inherent factors; we can also consider the season as a factor that contributed… today, the production we have has somewhat decreased,” he declared.
Currently, estimates indicate a production of approximately 1.5 million tons, with consumption nearing 1 million tons. Although surpluses are available, speculation on stocks and the behavior of traders contribute to maintaining high prices in the market.
Finally, Yves Hountondji recalled that the initial production target for this year was 1.9 million tons of corn, a figure that seems difficult to achieve given the current circumstances.
Read the original article(French) on Benin Web TV
