The city of Saint-Louis hosted a major economic event this Wednesday focused on cooperation between Senegal and Italy. Ahead of the international CIBUS TEC 2026 trade fair, scheduled for October 27-30, 2026 in Parma, the Italian Trade Agency, in partnership with the Dakar Chamber of Commerce, organized a presentation day for Senegalese stakeholders. The goal was clear: strengthen economic ties between the two countries by stimulating investment, facilitating technology transfer, and supporting the integration of Senegalese businesses into Italian and international markets.

According to Alexandre Durbin, director of the ITA, supporting Senegalese producers to promote food production quality is a priority. He also emphasized that this trade fair will offer them concrete solutions and promising prospects.

Some Italian company directors present reiterated their commitment. They stated readiness to meet the expectations of Senegalese producers.

In Saint-Louis, trade fair organizers, including Jean-Jacques Bancal, welcomed this initiative and expressed their expectations to strengthen collaboration with Italian companies operating in the sector.

The choice of Saint-Louis is strategic. With its strong agricultural and agri-food potential, the northern capital emerges as a strategic hub capable of playing a driving role in the sector's development at national and international levels.

At the heart of discussions was a shared ambition: building sustainable bridges between Senegalese and Italian economic ecosystems. To achieve this, several Italian companies specializing in agri-food technologies attended. They presented solutions covering the entire value chain: irrigation systems, biostimulants, modern greenhouses, fruit and vegetable processing equipment, sorting lines, and aseptic packaging techniques.

For the Senegalese producers, processors, and project developers present, these innovations represent a concrete opportunity to modernize their production tools. The stakes are high: increase production, improve quality, and conquer new international market opportunities.

Beyond technology, Senegalese professionals emphasized the need for balanced partnership. It's not just about importing equipment, but co-creating solutions adapted to local realities, considering climatic and economic constraints. Training human resources, developing local seeds, and producing inputs locally are also priorities to reduce external dependency.

A global reference event, the CIBUS TEC trade fair stands as an essential meeting point for agri-food innovation. Organized biennially in Parma, it brings together industry leaders around major trends: processing, packaging, automation, and food safety. A promising horizon for Senegalese companies seeking competitiveness and international expansion.

Babacar SENE (correspondent) Saint-Louis