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Benin to achieve food security despite low agricultural production in 2015

Xinhua, May 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

Low agricultural production witnessed in Benin 2015 will not affect the population's food security, the country's Agriculture Minister Delphine Oloronto Kouzande said Tuesday in the capital, Cotonou.

"Despite low production in 2015 when compared to the previous year, the produce that was obtained will largely satisfy the needs of Benin's population," the minister told Xinhua.

He explained that cereal production dropped from 1.7 million tons in 2014 to 1.6 million tons in 2015, equivalent to 4.3 percent.

He attributed the drop to pockets of drought and poor rain distribution witnessed in Benin's farming areas during the 2015-2016 farming season.

At the same time, the minister revealed that production of roots and tubers such as cassava dropped by 11 percent in 2015.

The drop in agricultural production was also witnessed in other crops such as vegetables which had an 8 percent drop and cash crops like cotton that registered a 22.9 percent drop. Endit