Paddy rice market in Benin

Earlier Report Observations

From 2018 to 2023, the paddy rice market in Benin showed variable dynamics, with a notable surge in 2021 when the market volume expanded by over 28% to 535.6 thousand tons. This growth was fueled by the national Rice Program and the establishment of the interprofessional organization IFRIZ, which aimed to strengthen production capacity, processing, and financing within the sector.

The sharp production increase to 519.7 thousand tons in 2021 stemmed directly from a 32% rise in yields and the creation of state agricultural development societies, which secured investments and promoted reliable supply chains. These institutional measures were part of a broader strategy to achieve one million tons of paddy rice production by 2025.

However, from 2022, rising costs of production inputs and difficulties in accessing fertilizers led to lower yields, while persistent bottlenecks in local processing infrastructure limited competitiveness. Consequently, production fell to 492.6 thousand tons in 2023, reducing the total market volume to 493.6 thousand tons despite continued high rice imports to meet domestic demand.

Production paddy rice in Benin

In kind, 2017-2020, K t

Top producers of paddy rice, 2017-2020

World map of production of paddy rice, 2017-2020

In 2020, Benin produced 411.6 thousand tons of paddy rice, marking a slight increase of 1.4% compared to 2019. Over the 2017-2020 period, production grew by 47.7%, with an average annual growth rate of 13.9%. The highest production level was recorded in 2018 at 459.3 thousand tons, which represented a significant increase of 64.8% from the previous year. In contrast, 2019 saw the largest decline of 11.6%.

Annual dynamics of production in Benin in kind, 2017-2020, K t

Exports paddy rice from Benin

Market research data indicates that Benin did not export any paddy rice between 2017 and 2020.

Imports paddy rice to Benin

Imports in kind, t

The market for paddy rice imports in Benin showed notable fluctuations during this period. In 2019, imports reached their lowest point at just 2 tons, representing a sharp decline of 99.9%. However, in 2020, imports surged dramatically to 5,920 tons, an increase of 353,457.7% compared to the previous year. This resulted in a 3,536-fold difference between the minimum in 2019 and the peak in 2020.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Benin in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Togo and Burkina Faso were the dominant sources for Benin's paddy rice imports, together accounting for 81.4% of the total volume in kind. The remaining imports were spread across various other countries.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Benin in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

The value of paddy rice imports in Benin displayed an unstable trend over this timeframe. In 2019, imports bottomed out at 4.1 thousand US dollars, reflecting a substantial decline of 99.0%. By 2020, imports peaked at 487.6 thousand US dollars, showing a remarkable improvement of 11,859.5% from the previous year. This created a 120-fold difference between the lowest and highest values.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Benin in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

During the 2017-2020 period, Togo, Thailand, and Burkina Faso were the key players in Benin's paddy rice imports by value. Togo contributed 37.8%, Thailand 35.9%, and Burkina Faso 17.5% of the total import value. Together, these three countries accounted for 91.2% of all import flows in monetary terms.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Benin in value, 2017-2020