Gregoire Bio Allagbe's farm
Agrocology, crop diversity, soil fertility, compost, crop rotation, crop association
Grégoire Bio Allagbe
Grégoire Bio Allagbe, a farmer in Guéssou (Gbégourou), Benin, cultivates his land and raises bees following agroecology principles. Here is a profile of his farm.
Context
The farm
- Name: Grégoire Bio Allagbe.
- Location: Guéssou, Benin.
- Date of Establishment: 1994. He took over the family farm 30 years ago.
- Cultivated Area: 16,08 hectares.
- Soil Type: Sandy-loam.
- Number of Workers on the Farm (FTE): 4.
- Climate: Guéssou has a savanna climate with a dry winter (Aw) according to the Köppen-Geiger classification. The average annual temperature is 26.8°C, and rainfall averages 1,023.6 mm.
- Education/Training/Background: Born to farming parents, Grégoire began learning traditional Beninese farming techniques as a child. He attended school up to fifth grade and has been a farmer for 30 years.
Crop production
- Vegetable crops: Okra, chili pepper, tomato, jute mallow(Corchorus olitorius L.).
- Staple crops: Maize, sorghum, yam, soybean, peanut.
- Fruit trees: Cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale), African mahogany (Khaya senegalensis), kapok (Ceiba pentandra), shea (Vitellaria paradoxa).
Okra.
Yam.
Shea.
Animal production
- Beekeeping: 10 hives, but Grégoire lacks equipment, such as protective clothing.
Motivations and goals
Grégoire discovered agroecology through the ProSilience project two years ago. He is highly motivated and applies techniques to combat soil erosion and manage irrigation and water flow through his fields.
His objectives include:
- Using improved seeds to achieve better germination, production, and yield.
- Improving honey production through beekeeping.
- Establishing vegetable gardens near a nearby water source; currently, only family-level production occurs near the water.
- Collaborating with another farmer to begin intensive livestock farming, with plans for 10 sheep and 8 goats.
Agronomic aspect
Farming practices
Fertility management
- Uses chemical or organic fertilizers based on availability.
- Cow dung is used for crops.
- Shea trees are preserved in fields for multi-layered cropping, organic matter input, and erosion control.
- Practices crop rotation such as planting chili before soybeans and crop association such as yams with maize early in the cycle.
- Leaves 2 hectares fallow with pigeon peas to add nitrogen and organic matter to the soil. After two years, the field is plowed and replanted.
Pest management
- Insects are the main pests, though their names are unknown. A caterpillar, possibly the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), damages maize's terminal buds before flowering.
- Pest control strategies include:
- Pesticides: Selective herbicides for soybeans, glyphosate.
- Repellents: Homemade biopesticides using neem and tobacco leaves.
Soil work
- Tillage and weeding: For tuber crops (cassava, yam), planting is done in furrows.
- Deep hoeing: Performed at the end of the rainy season to create mounds.
- Ridging: Flat plowing with rented tractors; mounds are made for tuber crops.
- Plowing perpendicular to the slope: Reduces water erosion.
Challenges and strategies
- Plowing costs are high over a short period. Tractors are often unavailable during peak plowing times, so he resorts to manual plowing or animal-drawn plowing. When these are not possible, direct seeding is done.
Water management
- No irrigation system.
- No manual watering.
- The Okpara River flows near the plots, but its water is not yet used for irrigation.
Social aspect
Satisfaction and dissatisfaction
- Workload: June/July is very busy. Four people work on the farm regularly, increasing to six during plowing and harvest.
- Economics: Grégoire does not take a salary; it’s a family-run operation.
- Work comfort: Basic and challenging.
- Social structure: Family-based.
- Living conditions: The fields are 4 km from his home, which he considers manageable.
Environment
- Technical support: Only from the Cabinet Monrado’s experimental farm via the ProSilience Project.
- Collaboration with Other Farmers: No cooperatives, but collaborates with the Cabinet Monrado on shared challenges.
Economic aspect
- Land cost: 1 hectare = 450,000 FCFA.
- Equipment: Plow (125,000 FCFA) and traction system for oxen (15,000 FCFA).
- Subsidies/Financial Aid: None.
- Expenses: Plowing costs up to 450,000 FCFA for 7 hectares, with total expenses of 700,000 FCFA.
- Income: Soybean is the most profitable crop, yielding 16,000 FCFA per bag, totaling 960,000 FCFA for 60 bags.
Marketing strategy
Retailers visit the farm to purchase directly for resale at the market.
Commercial strategy / Market opportunities
Retailers come directly to the farm to purchase products for resale at the market.
Farmer’s advice
Anyone venturing into farming must ensure they have enough capital to get started.
Photo gallery
Sources
Interview with Grégoire Bio Allagbe conducted in August 2024 by the Ver de Terre Production team as part of the Urbane project. Photo Credits: Ver de Terre Production.
This page was written in partnership with the Urbane project and with the financial support of the European Union.
