The pineapple industry in Benin has taken a step towards closer organization with the signing of an agreement between representatives of exporters and growers. "This is good news for the entire sector, and comes at a time when we need to unite our efforts to achieve greater recognition for Beninese pineapple on international markets," according to Edouard Choubiyi, President of the Benin Pineapple Exporters Association.
Choubiyi explains, "We have signed an agreement with the national federation of pineapple growers' cooperatives in Benin, the largest growers' organization representing over 2,500 members, to guarantee the traceability and quality of exported fruit. From now on, all exports from these growers will be made through the exporters' association, while ensuring the sourcing of top-quality fruit."
According to Choubiyi, the agreement aims to break with practices that were harmful to the industry. He explains, "We had noticed the intrusion of parasitic actors in the export of fruit, who were escaping control. For example, some forwarding agents, and I don't say all, engaged in dubious practices such as diverting customers to replace exporters. With the signing of this agreement, we are putting a stop to such practices."
"This brings a great deal of traceability and respect for the role and expertise of each link in the chain, with the ultimate aim of better promoting Beninese origin. In this context, too, we announce that the Exporters' Association is ready to receive customer complaints in the event of repetition of these practices, which are harmful to customers, consumers, exporters, and growers alike," Choubiyi continues.
The exporters' representative concludes, "Benin is among the major producers of pineapples in West Africa, with 477 thousand tons produced, and it's time to enable better conditions for export. We're continuing to make efforts to extend this agreement to more growers in the country."
For more information:
Edouard Choubiyi
Association of Pineapple Exporters of Benin
Tel: +229 97 32 54 41
Email: [email protected]