Benin: Producing local seeds (AgribusinessTV)

| May 1, 2023

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Each harvested vegetable starts with a seed, so sourcing quality seeds is important for farmers. Hyacinthe Eke is well aware of farmers’ needs, and tries to meet them with the wide variety of quality seeds sold by his company, Les Jardins pour tous (Gardens for all). Mr. Eke is based in Benin, where, for many years, many vegetable seeds were imported, and farmers were unable to find seeds for local crops. This is what motivated him to become a seed producer. Mr. Eke has earned a reputation for quality. Koffi Atohoun is a vegetable grower. He says, "What I buy from Jardins pour tous is very good quality … When I sow, the germination rate is very high." Mr. Eke currently sells seeds for 20 kinds of vegetables, about half of which are certified by the national Plant Production Department. The company is working on producing seeds for other kinds of vegetables but is looking at demand from farmers.

Each harvested vegetable starts with a seed, so sourcing quality seeds is important for farmers. With climate change, many farmers are looking for short-cycle varieties. Because of plant diseases and pests, many farmers are looking for resistant varieties. Hyacinthe Eke is well aware of these needs, and tries to meet them with the wide variety of quality seeds sold under his company’s name, Les Jardins pour tous (Gardens for all).

Mr. Eke is based in Benin, where, for a long time, many vegetable seeds were imported. At times, there were shortages and some seeds were not available in the market. Often, farmers were unable to find seeds for local crops such as gboman (spinach), tchayo (African basil), or vernonia (a leafy vegetable). This is what motivated him to become a seed producer.

He explains, “Most external organizations are unable to send seeds to the country. So we felt a need for these seeds for producers. This is what prompted us to start producing local seeds.”

Quality is one of the most important elements to being a seed producer. This includes not only the quality of the seed being sold to farmers, but also the packaging to attract the attention and confidence of farmers.

Mr. Eke explains: “One challenge was the quality of the seed to be produced, because the producer is used to what is imported being well-packaged. But we were not able to package and present the product well to the producers. So, at first, they were not too interested. But with the efforts we had to make in relation to the packaging, product presentation, and the germination rate, they started to adopt our seeds.”

Mr. Eke has earned a reputation for quality. Koffi Atohoun is a vegetable grower. He says, “What I buy from Jardins pour tous is very good quality. I discovered this shop about a year ago and I am a regular now. When I sow, the germination rate is very high.”

He adds that one great benefit of these locally-produced seeds is that he can save the seeds for future use. With imported seeds, he couldn’t do that.

Mr. Atohoun also appreciates the personal connection with Mr. Eke, who visits his farm to see how his seeds are growing—and to offer advice. He says, “I bought pepper seeds. I didn’t do the nursery properly, but this morning, when he came to see, he taught me the right practice to adopt.”

Mr. Eke has good advice for producers entering farming or seed production. He says: “If a young person wants to get into this business, he has to understand the market. You have to understand the market, the target customer, and the quality of the seeds to be produced. These points are very important for seed production.”

He currently sells seeds for 20 kinds of vegetables, about half of which are certified by the national Plant Production Department. The company is working on producing seeds for other kinds of vegetables but is looking at demand from farmers.

This story is adapted from a video produced by AgribusinessTV called “Benin: Producing local seeds.” To watch the video, go to: https://agribusinesstv.info/en/benin-producing-local-seeds/