A spark of hope for pineapple farmers in Benin

For the last two years and half, the consortium ”Ananas Mitongnon” has been implementing the DAPIS project in Benin. Pineapple producers have realized that they can engage in more lucrative markets and to meet the expected quantity on a regular basis, they have decided to organize themselves into a cooperative which they named: “Nonvignon Mihinmidé” meaning “Brotherhood is good, let’s take care of each other”. 

The DAPIS project, fully entitled ‘Designing appropriate Agronomic and processing practices for Pineapple Supply chains in Benin’ is funded by WOTRO through the Applied Research Fund program. The consortium is composed of two research institutions (Faculty of Agronomic Sciences at the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin and Wageningen University in the Netherlands), one private for profit processing unit (Juice Processor Company named “Établissement Magnificat”) and one public organization (Pineapple Stakeholders Organisation named ‘Table Filière Ananas’). The project partners are combining their expertise to deliver high quality fresh pineapple and pasteurised pineapple juice. Through the co-creation approach, actors in pineapple value chains including farmers were involved in the setting up until the harvesting and fruit quality assessment of the different experiments.

Owing to the quality of fruit and yield, fresh pineapple producers realized that they can engage in more lucrative markets. However, to meet the expected quantity on a regular basis, they have decided to organize themselves into a cooperative which they named: “Nonvignon Mihinmidé” meaning “Brotherhood is good, let’s take care of each other”.  DAPIS project members were invited to the General Assembly of the cooperative. The cooperative is composed of 50 members among which 22 are female. In his speech, the president of the Cooperative Mr Agossa Valère stated “We aim at producing high pineapple quality fruit meeting markets requirements”, because this is what we learned from DAPIS. Indeed through the DAPIS Project, pineapple yield is improved and fresh pineapple can be stored for longer period of time compared to producer’s practices. The dean of Faculty of Agronomic Sciences (FSA) at the University of Abomey-Calavi, Prof. Hounhouigan D. Joseph, during his short speech, had reiterated the commitment of the Consortium to provide the cooperative with technical assistance through training on the agronomic practices to produce good quality fresh pineapple for different markets.