Study of the Economic Profitability of Soybean Production in the Collines Department in Benin: An Analysis Using the Direct Costing Method

Abstract

In the Collines department in Benin, soybean cultivation is an important agricultural activity that contributes significantly to economic growth. Its production engages various groups of producers and, to do this, its economic evaluation is essential to sustain its development. However, for several years, the development of departmental production has been characterized by a lackluster trend, despite the incentives and signals sent out by the market. Using data collected from a sample of 120 producers chosen at random in the said department, this study assessed, using an approach based on direct costing, the economic profitability of soybean production, and identified the determinants of its improvement based on a logit model. The results obtained show that the activities of the different groups of producers in the study area are economically profitable to varying degrees; and the factors identified as explaining the improvement of this profitability are: the economic situation, climatic and meteorological conditions and rural roads. To this end, as an implication of economic policies, this study suggests that the State play its part as arbiter on the market and contribute to the maintenance of rural roads. In addition, strategies must be developed to deal with climatic challenges, such as irregular rainfall.