In a document devoted to Togolese agriculture, the World Bank (WB) noted weaknesses and above all less productive agriculture than in neighboring countries.
The report notes that “farmers represent 39% of the Togolese population, the rural population is growing by 2% every year” and with “an increase in production per hectare almost zero in thirty years, agriculture in Togo is l ‘one of the least productive in the West African region’.
It is characterized by a low use of inputs, the abandonment of research and agricultural training, adds the study, specifying that “if production has been maintained, come what may, it is at the expense of Togolese forests” .
The World Bank considers that this state of affairs is no longer tenable “especially since the costs of restoring agricultural productivity increase from year to year”.
She suggests that the Togolese authorities “invest more and better in agriculture, revitalize the Togolese Agricultural Research Institute, promote agroforestry and community agriculture, while betting on fresh and processed fruits and vegetables to the major export and processing of food products for the regional market, Ghana and Nigeria offering promising outlets”.