102 The contribution of shea butter (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertner) to local livelihoods in BeninIndustrial processing
In the Sahelian countries, where shea is one of the few income-earning activities
available to rural women, development projects have invested much effort in
finding ways to mechanise butter-making. None of the resulting manual and
mechanised presses were known in the Bassila area at the time of this study.
All industrial processing in Benin was carried out at the government Société
Nationale pour l’Industrie des Corps Gras (SONICOG) factory in the capital,
Cotonou. This facility was dedicated mostly to the manufacture of palm oil
and palm kernel oil and only made shea butter when contracted by a number
of local exporters. Processing involved grinding the kernels and then heating
and pressing them to extract the oil. In European factories, shea butter is
produced using hydraulic presses on the kernels and then placing them in hot
air ovens. The product is then bleached with a hexane solvent and must be
stored and transported in cool, airtight containers to prevent it from becoming
rancid (Fintrac 1999).Trade and marketing
The trade diagram (Figure 2) provides an overview of the main movements of
the principal shea products—kernels, butter and soap. The information relates
primarily to trade within Benin as information beyond the borders is difficult
to obtain.Kernel trade
While the Otamari, Peulh and Logba all retain some of their kernels for
processing into butter, most kernels in the Bassila area are collected and dried
for sale. The first kernels come to market in May and the volume sold peaks in
September. At this time, the main buyers are bulk buyers who purchase several
sacks (of 115 kg). These are women, often from the nearby town of Bassila,
who are either agents for national companies or suppliers for such agents.
Agents are usually provided with sacks and an advance by the company. In
addition to purchasing kernels at local markets, they also go directly to villages,
particularly those situated conveniently along the road, to buy from the women.
Discussions with companies based in Cotonou suggest that they require
orders of at least 500 tonnes before initiating a purchasing campaign. Only a
handful of companies export shea kernels and they are often also involved in
exporting other products such as palm oil and palm kernels. Cashew nuts are
a particularly good complement to shea as they require the same transport
infrastructure and are available in the alternate season.
The first year in which the government itself, as required by structural
adjustment, did not purchase any kernels was 1992. The department responsible
for quality control of exported products, Direction du Contrôle du
Conditionnement des Produits (DCCP), did, however, continue to set the
minimum purchase price in consultation with the main export companies. The
price is set in July and takes into account prices in neighbouring countries,
the cost of transport and international market prices. In 1993 it was set at
CFA40 per kilogram but traders in the Bassila area ignored it as good yields06SHEA.P65 102 22/12/2004, 11:04