Select your product and destination to generate a complete, printable checklist of every document you need to export from Benin. Covers cotton, cashew, pineapple, maize and more.
Benin's staple crops include maize, cassava, yam, sorghum, while cotton, cashew, oil palm lead exports. Regional growing conditions differ sharply, so check your region below before applying national averages.
| Agriculture share of GDP | ~25% |
|---|---|
| Arable land | 3,300,000 ha |
| Irrigated share | ~1% |
| Main rainy season | March to October |
| Main food crops | maize, cassava, yam, sorghum, rice, cowpea |
| Main export crops | cotton, cashew, oil palm, pineapple |
| Region | Annual rainfall | Major crops |
|---|---|---|
| Southern (Cotonou, Porto-Novo, Ouidah) | 1200 mm | maize, cassava, oil palm, rice |
| Central (Abomey, Parakou, Dassa) | 1100 mm | yam, cotton, cashew, maize |
| Northern (Natitingou, Kandi, Malanville) | 1000 mm | cotton, sorghum, millet, cowpea |
Country context from the AfroTools agriculture dataset — planning reference, not agronomic advice. Confirm with local extension services.