In Grand Popo, 420 farmers and their families from 27 municipalities now have vegetable seed to help rebuild their livelihoods and health in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff from the World Vegetable Center West and Central Africa – Coastal and Humid Regions Office, in collaboration with ProCaR and Benin’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, distributed seed kits on 28 July 2020 to farmers participating in the PADMAR project at Grand Popo, Benin.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted vegetable supply chains in the region, and in turn, the livelihoods and diets of the 420 farmers and their families from 27 municipalities who received the kits.

Each kit contains seed of eight nutrient-dense, fast-growing vegetable crops: tomato, chili pepper, onion, okra (Févi), amaranth (fotètè), African eggplant leaves (Gboma), African basil (Tchiayo) and jute mallow (crincrin).

In his opening remarks, WorldVeg Regional Director Victor Afari-Sefa thanked the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Gaston Dossouhoui, local government dignitaries, project leaders, and farmers’ association representatives for their ongoing support for small-scale farmers. “Seed interventions have been an important component of emergency response programs for decades,” Victor told the group. “Vegetable seed is justified as a way to quickly improve diets and provide fast income to farmers in stress situations.”

Seed for the kits came from existing stocks held by WorldVeg Benin and the PADMAR project. A total of 23.8 kilograms of seed valued at XOF 3,853,500 (USD 6900) was used in the kits.

Who attended the seed kit distribution event?

• Honorable Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries
• Minister, Mono Department
• Mayor of Grand-Popo Municipality
• Representative of the Director General, INRAB
• Coordinator, ProCaR (Programme Cadre des interventions du FIDA en milieu Rural au Bénin)
• Head of the Vegetable Production Development Support Project (PADMAR)
• Representatives of the various Departmental Divisions of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries
• Members of FeNOMa (Fédération Nationale des Organisations Maraîchères)
• Representatives of the Territorial Agencies for Agricultural Development (ATDA)
• Other ProCaR Team Members
• Representatives of the Territorial Agricultural Development Agencies
• Representatives of various Farmers Associations
• Local media

Story and photos: Victor Afari-Sefa and Judith Honfoga