The sun rises early over Djeffa, a locality in southeastern Benin’s Sèmè-Podji district where Justine Gantekpin is already tending to her flourishing vegetable farm. Thanks to the African Development Fund Project for Support of Agricultural Infrastructure in the Ouémé Valley (http://apo-opa.co/3Ydp5vP), Gantekpin has expanded her farm from a small plot to two hectares of thriving vegetables.

“This scheme is well thought out and implemented. It has given us the material resources we need for modern agriculture. Our business has flourished,” Gantekpin says, gesturing to the newly installed boreholes and high-quality water pipes that now irrigate her tomatoes, aubergines, and lettuce.

Nearby, another small farmer, Jean Loupeda, who is a beneficiary of the project, describes the efficiency gains and how they have changed his life. “Previously, watering one hectare required at least six workers for six hours. Now, I only need two workers. This saves me time, energy, and money.” Jean adds: “We can work much better now. We have been able to boost our production while saving money.”

Launched in 2014 with €63.63 million in funding from the African Development Bank Group’s concessional window, the African Development Fund (http://apo-opa.co/3YgXr16), the project has supported 14 localities across Benin’s Ouémé, Zou, and Atlantique districts. It aims to promote rice and maize cultivation and market gardening by enhancing hydro-agricultural facilities to secure production and building storage and marketing infrastructure to ensure better integration of value chains.

The results have been impressive. By the end of the project in December 2023, additional food crop production (rice, maize) had increased from 70,100 tonnes to 90,300 tonnes in the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 growing seasons. Rice growers have seen their average annual revenue more than tripled, from around €108 to €358, surpassing the initial target of €220.

Enock Koumagnon, a farmer in Sèmè-Podji, highlights the project’s impact: “We have increased our productivity thanks to the project, allowing us to enroll our children in school and even to university level. As a simple farmer, I never imagined this would be possible,” he said.

The project’s success demonstrates the transformative power of the Bank’s targeted agricultural investment in rural African communities, improving livelihoods and food security while promoting sustainable economic growth.