Filières oignon en Afrique de l'Ouest : étude comparée des filières nigérienne et béninoise. The onion sector of West Africa: Comparative study of Niger and Benin

The onion sector represents the base of the livelihoods of thousands of producers in WestAfrica. Onion is produced in several West African countries, but with the exception ofNiger and Burkina Faso that produce quantities that exceed domestic demand, theproduction often does not meet the needs of local consumption. Niger boasts the first placeas exporter of onion in West Africa, and its well-rooted commercial network can supplymajor coastal markets in the sub-region. In contrast, Benin stands between net importers ofonion with the Cotonou market stocked a good part of the year by the Niger onion. Tounderstand the relationship between the onion sectors in Niger and Benin and themechanism allowing the Niger onion to be sold on the coastal markets at a competitiveprice, this study provides a comparative analysis related to the production and marketingfrom two production areas supplying the Dantokpa market in Cotonou (Benin): Keita, in Niger, and Malanville, in Benin. The study shows that the two sectors are at the same timecompetitive and complementary and that the Niger sector has a clear comparativeadvantage at the level of production, with lower costs and major earnings for producers. Inaddition, the organisation of the Niger commercial network reduces the risk of longdistancetrade, allowing the onion from Niger to be competitive on the Cotonou market.For its part, the strengthening of the onion sector in Benin, concerning production, storageand marketing, should follow an approach of complementariness rather than competitionwith Niger production. In a perspective of regional integration, it should be moreappropriate to valorise other local productions with comparative advantage on regionalmarkets.