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From June 24 to 25, 2024, the climate-smart village of Worogui-Goura in Benin hosted a session to disseminate the results of seasonal forecasts of agrohydroclimatic characteristics for the 2024 rainy season. The session was accompanied by training for rain station observers on data collection and the installation of rain gauges. 

This activity is part of the project " Technologies et Innovations Agricoles pour l'Accroissement de la Résilience des Systèmes de Production et des Exploitations Familiales en Afrique de l'Ouest et du Centre (TARSPro)", implemented by CORAF, with funding from the Swiss Cooperation.

The session raised awareness among 40 growers, including 17 women from the climate-smart village, of the characteristics of the 2024 rainy season in northern Benin. Agro-meteorological advice was provided to enable producers to maximize the benefits of the rainy season.

" Due to climate change, rainy seasons are no longer what they used to be: the start dates of seasons are increasingly variable, the end of seasons is no longer controlled and the length of pockets of drought with the overall rainfall expected must be known in order to make decisions about which variety to sow," emphasized Joseph BESSOU, agro-meteorologist at the Institut National des Recherches du Bénin (INRAB).

" The results of seasonal forecasts of agrohydroclimatic characteristics for the unique rainy season in northern Benin show that the 2024 rainy season in the VIC will start early with long pockets of drought at the beginning, followed by a late to average end to the season . I urge you to continue sowing maize until July 15, 2024, given the quality of the expected season, and to start planting soybeans", the agro-meteorologist told producers from the climate-smart village of Worogui-Goura during an awareness-raising session on seasonal forecasts for a successful agricultural season. 

To support growers, further agro-meteorological advice was given to growers attending the session. It was recommended to invest in high-yielding crops that are tolerant of wet conditions, to make the most of average to above-average runoff by developing irrigated crops, and to set up systems to collect and conserve runoff for agricultural and domestic use in the dry season. In addition, it is essential to support the deployment of climate-smart techniques to increase crop and forage yields, and to strengthen agrohydro-meteorological information and assistance systems.

The session concluded with the installation of two rain gauges and the training of 20 people (10 women and 10 men) in rainfall data collection. The training, which took place in the king's courtyard in the village of Worogui-Goura and on a school field, covered the procedure for collecting rainfall data, the principles of reading rain gauges, the different types of clouds, and the steps involved in installing a rain gauge in accordance with World Meteorological Organization (WMO) standards. The theoretical part was followed by practical work to ensure that each participant could collect rainfall data and record it correctly.

This activity illustrates the importance of disseminating seasonal forecasts and training growers for resilient agriculture in the face of climate change. Thanks to these initiatives, Worogui-Goura producers are better prepared to take advantage of the 2024 rainy season, thus contributing to food security. The TARSPro project, through CORAF and with the support of Swiss Cooperation, continues to build the capacities of rural communities for effective natural resource management and adaptation to climate challenges.