The new organization will represent collective interests before the state and international partners to improve competitiveness of locally produced rice.

BENIN – Benin has officially launched the Interprofessional Rice Organization (IFRIZ-B), a new body created to strengthen the country’s rice sector and reduce reliance on imports.

The organization was established on September 30 following a founding general assembly in Cotonou, bringing together key actors across the value chain.

Rice, alongside corn, is among the most consumed cereals in Benin but remains the country’s leading agricultural import.

The new organization will represent collective interests before the state and international partners, while also working to improve competitiveness, quality, and the promotion of locally produced rice.

“The establishment of IFRIZ provides the sector with a legitimate and structured framework to meet the challenges of competitiveness and food self-sufficiency,” said Idrissou Bako, national coordinator of the Integrated Development Project for Agricultural Value Chains (Pdi-Cva).

However, he cautioned that the industry continues to face significant constraints, including limited coordination between stakeholders, insufficient processing facilities, restricted access to quality inputs, and the lack of a formal framework agreement between the state and producers.

Despite these challenges, Benin’s rice production has been growing steadily. According to the Directorate of Agricultural Statistics (DSA), paddy rice harvests rose by 31% between 2018 and 2023, reaching 492,626 tonnes last year after peaking at 525,014 tonnes in 2022.

Yet, production still lags behind domestic demand. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Benin (CCIB) estimated that in 2023, local paddy output translated into around 350,000 tonnes of milled rice, while national consumption requirements stood at nearly 600,000 tonnes.

This shortfall is filled by imports, primarily from Asian suppliers such as India, underscoring Benin’s dependence on external markets for a staple food. In response, the government has set a target to nearly double local paddy production to reach one million tonnes in the coming years.

In 2024, the government of Benin received a boost in production with additional financing from the World Bank, designed in collaboration with the FAO Investment Centre.

The US$150 million financing boost sought to build on the preliminary results of the four value chains, which are central to the Agricultural Competitiveness and Export Diversification Project (PACOFIDE). 

Published Date: October 9, 2025