Impact Of Agricultural Market Reforms On Smallholder Farmers In ...

poorest expenditure category to just 36 percent in the richest category. Conversely, cement and tile
floors rise in importance in the higher expenditure categories. The material used in roofs also shifts
as expenditure rises, with sheet metal becoming more common and straw
becoming less so. Ownership status does not vary across expenditure categories (see Table
4.1.162).
The main source of water varies widely from one household to another. The most common sources
are covered public wells (30 percent), purchased water (18 percent), open private well (17 percent),
and river or lake (17 percent). Private water sources (including tap water, purchased water, and
private wells) are most common in Ouémé and Mono. They account for over two-thirds of the
households in these two departments compared to less than one-third in the other departments. The
use of river or lake water is most common in Atacora, reflecting the low level of infrastructure in
this department (see Table 4.1.163).
With regard to the main source of lighting, the only regional difference appears to be the high
proportion of houses with electricity in Ouémé (14 percent). In the other departments, oil and
kerosene lamps are used in 95-100 percent of the houses (see Table 4.1.163).
The sources of water reported by male- and female-headed households are quite similar. Similarly,
there are only small differences in the main source of lighting between these two groups of
households (see Table 4.1.164).
The main source of water is only weakly related to expenditure. As per capita expenditure rises,
the use of purchased water and river/lake water declines, while the use of covered public wells
rises. Other water sources, however, show little or no pattern. Even among the richest 20 percent
of farmers in Bénin, most households rely on public water sources. The use of electricity rises
with expenditure, as expected, but even in the highest expenditure category, just 7 percent of the
households have electricity (see Table 4.1.165).
4.1.10 Sources of information
One of the most important ways the government can assist small farmers is by generating new
agricultural technology through research and by disseminating the technology through an effective
extension service. It is important to recognize, however, that farmers obtain information about
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