Consommer-local : « Aucune graine de riz entier ne sera importée au Sénégal tant que… » (Ministre)
This sends a strong signal to international markets. The Senegalese government has just taken another step in its import-substitution policy. The key measure concerns the country's most consumed grain: rice. Imports of whole grain rice are now officially suspended until locally produced stocks are completely depleted.
“No whole grain rice will be imported into Senegal until local rice stocks are depleted,” declared the Minister of Industry and Trade, Serigne Guèye Diop, this Friday. To support this decision, an agreement has been reached with national rice producers, including the establishment of a specific subsidy fund. According to the Minister, the objective is to guarantee a market for producers in the Senegal River Valley and the Casamance region, while simultaneously making the price of local rice more competitive for the end consumer.
"The sectoral policy guidelines of the ministry emphasize the improvement of value chains, the promotion of local consumption and market relations. The new import-substitution policy, which we have successfully implemented, is part of this dynamic," emphasized the authority who presided over a validation workshop for the 2026-2030 Strategic Development Plan (SDP) of the Market Regulation Agency (ARM), carried out with the support of the Belgian Agency for International Cooperation (Enabel).
He did, in fact, welcome the initial results of this food sovereignty policy. "This is the first time we've gone 11 months without importing a single kilogram of potatoes. That's why we closed the market to allow producers to sell their products. We closed the import market for potatoes, onions, and bananas," he emphasized, noting that these measures to close the Senegalese market will continue to protect local producers.
In the banana sector, the minister praised the excellent results achieved thanks to this new policy. "We closed the borders for three months, and 9 billion CFA francs (spent annually on banana imports, editor's note) remained in Senegal," the minister stated, adding that he does not intend to continue with the same approach. "Next year, we will extend the border closure from three months to six months, despite the attacks from the WTO and ECOWAS. My role as minister is to protect our farmers and our manufacturers, and we must do so at any cost," he declared emphatically.
Better still, he proudly announces: "in the next three years Senegal will no longer import potatoes, onions, or even carrots."
What about storage problems?
Recognizing that border protection alone is insufficient, the government is banking on a logistical revolution. According to the minister, a massive investment plan is underway for the construction of cold storage facilities with a total capacity of 250,000 tonnes.
These storage units aim to free farmers from the constraints of immediate marketing and the risks of post-harvest losses estimated, according to a study, at 30% of food production and 60 to 70% for fruits and vegetables.
“We are investing heavily in the construction of cold storage facilities with a capacity of 250,000 tons for storing agricultural products. There is no country in the world that doesn't have storage facilities. This will free farmers from the burden of marketing their products. This responsibility should fall to traders and importers,” explains Serigne Guèye Diop. According to him, this will also help stabilize food prices throughout the year, thus avoiding the supply and demand imbalances that often fuel the upward price fluctuations seen in the market at certain times.
For the Minister of Trade, food sovereignty is a key pillar of development, and the new government has made it a priority, especially in these times of global crisis. "Food sovereignty is priceless. Today, in this context of war in the Gulf, all countries without food stockpiles are at risk," he concluded.
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