• New CFA300 million facility will accelerate crop selection and disease testing
• Fully automated structure can cut varietal development time by half
• Launch supports Senegal’s 2025–2034 seed sovereignty strategy

Senegal’s Minister of Agriculture, Mabouba Diagne, inaugurated on December 4 a greenhouse dedicated to phytopathology and crop improvement at the National Center for Agronomic Research in Bambey.

The facility, which cost CFA300 million ($0.53 million), was financed by Germany under a project titled “Crop to End Hunger,” according to information reported by the Senegalese Press Agency (APS).

According to the authorities, the greenhouse will accelerate the selection and development of crop varieties that are more productive and better adapted to the country’s climate, especially strategic crops. It is also designed to play a central role in evaluating plant resistance to disease.

“Fully automated and equipped with six independent compartments, it allows up to four crop cycles per year, cutting in half the time needed to develop new varieties of millet, sorghum, or groundnut in the face of climate challenges and emerging diseases,” the Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement. Through this investment, Senegal has taken another step toward modernizing the agricultural sector.

A lever to support seed sovereignty ambitions

The commissioning of the Bambey greenhouse follows the development, last October, of the national seed sovereignty strategy (2025–2034) by actors in the seed industry.

The roadmap aims primarily to expand the local production of certified seeds and stimulate private and foreign investment in the sector. Certified seeds remain underused in Senegal, limiting agricultural productivity.

According to official data, the usage rate is estimated at 6 % for cereal crops and about 15 % for groundnut cultivation. Strengthening the seed system also aims to reduce dependence on imports. In this context, modernizing Senegal’s agricultural research infrastructure is a lever for producing certified local seeds that are more productive and resilient to climate conditions.

Stéphanas Assocle