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Benin: TAAT Showcases Improved Okra Varieties
To promote the development, dissemination and adoption of improved vegetable technologies that respond to farmers’ needs and market demand, the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) programme will host a field day and participatory selection of okra varieties on 18 December 2025, at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Station in Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
Organised by the TAAT Vegetables Compact, led by Dr Mathieu A. T. Ayenan, an Okra breeder with the World Vegetable Centre (WorldVeg), the field day aligns with ongoing activities of the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soil (VACS) okra breeding initiative, which supports the development of climate-resilient and high-performing okra varieties.
The field day will bring together more than 50 experienced okra farmers from Sèmè-Kpodji, Bonou, Aguégués and Zè, alongside agricultural extension officers, seed traders and buyers.
Participants will be exposed to elite and advanced okra lines currently at the reproductive stage, including varieties known for their high yield potential and resistance to okra yellow leaf curl virus.
Through guided field walks, a structured preference voting system and facilitated group discussions, farmers will actively assess varietal performance and share the criteria that influence their adoption decisions.
This participatory approach will generate farmer-driven insights to guide breeding priorities, strengthen linkages between research and end-users, and enhance the relevance of improved okra technologies.
The TAAT Vegetables Compact anticipates the participation of key stakeholders across the vegetable value chain in this field-based learning and decision-making platform, which contributes to demand-driven varietal development and the scaling of improved okra varieties in Benin and across the region.
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