Togo, Benin move to formalize cross-border horticultural trade

Agriculture

Friday, 10 April 2026 12:32

Togo, Benin move to formalize cross-border horticultural trade

(Togo First) - Togo and Benin are working to improve cross-border trade in horticultural produce. Stakeholders met Wednesday in Lomé to discuss ways to ease the movement of goods between the two countries.

The meeting brought together the chambers of commerce of Togo and Benin, the West African Association for Cross-Border Trade in Food, Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral and Fishery Products (AOCTAH), and the coordination unit of the Regional Agricultural Market Integration Program (PRIMA). Discussions focused on import and export conditions, aiming to remove barriers that continue to hinder trade.

Participants also connected Togolese and Beninese economic operators and explored partnerships in the production and processing of crops such as onions, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers and lettuce. The initiative is part of the Market Gardening Development Support Project (PADMAR).

Trade in horticultural produce between the two countries is already well established. Between Lomé, Aného, Grand-Popo and Cotonou, perishable goods move daily, largely through informal cross-border trade driven by women traders, locally known as “revendeuses”, who supply urban markets.

The initiative launched in Lomé aims to formalize these flows. It is expected to improve infrastructure, including rural roads and farm tracks, harmonize standards and price information, and ease the movement of perishable goods between the two countries.

Esaïe Edoh

REFORMS OVERVIEW

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At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

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CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

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In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

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PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

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PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

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