Welcoming a delegation from Benin: a look back at a study visit to GEVES

As part of an FAO-funded programme, three of our Beninese counterparts were able to undertake a study visit to France to gain an understanding of how our official controls on seeds and plant varieties operate. Organised and accompanied by SEMAE and GEVES, Justin ZOGLOBOSSOU (Director of Crop Production), Gabin SAMBA KPOHINTO (Head of the National Seed Service) and Etienne ADANGO (project coordinator) were able to visit GEVES’s facilities, tour seed producers and plant breeders’ premises, and hold discussions with representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture.

At GEVES, they were particularly interested in the management of seed lots received as part of official inspections, in our collaboration with SEMAE on the implementation of variety testing, and in the French VSCU system, which involves various stakeholders in the trial networks.

They were welcomed at the different GEVES laboratories and then at the Anjouère testing station to observe the VSCU trials on potatoes and the DUS trials on forage crops. At the Brion testing station, they received advice from our experts on the DUS trials for beans, onions, field beans and carrots. Finally, at the Cavaillon testing station, they were briefed on the management of soya variety control trials (including a demonstration of trait assessment on seeds) and the DUS trials for tomatoes, courgettes and chillies.

Our discussions with our teams were both highly informative and very warm. They could lead to the introduction of more targeted training initiatives.