Senegal faces a serious risk of a sheep shortage for Tabaski (Eid al-Adha) due to the potentially negative repercussions of the current situation in Mali. This concern stems from Ismaïla Sow, president of the National Council of the House of Livestock Breeders of Senegal (CNMDE), who is warning the government. To address the most pressing issue, he is calling on the authorities to take proactive steps, including consultations with stakeholders in the livestock sector. Furthermore, Mr. Sow emphasized the urgent need for government support through subsidies for livestock feed, the high cost of which could significantly impact the price of sheep.

This cry for help was voiced during the opening ceremony of the capacity-building workshop for stakeholders of the National Council of Livestock Farmers of Senegal (CNMDE) in organizational management, with financial support from the Regional Project to Support Pastoralism in the Sahel - Phase 2 (PRAPS2-SN), held on April 27 and 28, 2026, in Thiès. This strategic session brought together some forty CNMDE territorial leaders from the regions of Thiès, Diourbel, Louga, Dakar, and Saint-Louis, with the objective of strengthening the management and leadership skills of local leaders, while integrating a structured system for sharing experiences and mentoring.

The deputy governor of the region in charge of development, Babacar Sadikh Niang, welcomed the initiative, which he said comes at a time when livestock farming plays a vital role in our economy and in the food security of our people. He nevertheless emphasized the significant challenges that remain in this sector, particularly regarding governance, structuring, and leadership development, especially among young people and women. He reiterated the crucial importance of this workshop, which should not only strengthen the skills of stakeholders but also, and above all, foster the sharing of experiences and the emergence of a new generation of leaders better prepared to face contemporary challenges.

The governor also welcomed the inclusion of discussions on the social protection of livestock farmers, which is now a major issue for improving their living conditions and strengthening their resilience to external shocks. Babacar Sadikh Niang reaffirmed the Senegalese government's commitment to supporting all initiatives aimed at modernizing and professionalizing the livestock sector. He expressed his conviction that, given the quality of the topics chosen and the expertise of the participants gathered during these two days of training, the local leaders of the National Center for Livestock Development (CNMDE) will emerge better equipped and more capable of meeting the challenges of this sector, which is essential for the country's sustainable development.