• Senegal plans to cut corn imports by 20% by 2026, equivalent to about 103,000 tons based on 2024 levels.
• The strategy relies on the $400 million Africa Agricultural Acceleration Program (AAAP) backed by the World Bank Group.
• Domestic corn production covered 172,200 hectares in 2023/2024, with an average yield of 3.29 tons per hectare, according to the national statistics agency.

Senegal aims to reduce its corn imports by 20% by next year, the government said in a statement published on the Agriculture Ministry’s website on October 9. The plan aligns with the country’s broader efforts to strengthen local production and cut reliance on foreign supplies.

Accélérer la transformation agricole du Sénégal avec le Africa Agriculture Accelerator Program (AAAP) et l’initiative AgriConnect

En marge du FII Sénégal 2025, j’ai eu l’honneur de présider, aux côtés de M. Alamine Lo, Ministre d’État, et de Dr Alpha Bâ, un panel de haut niveau… pic.twitter.com/IZFqiF8h2e

— Dr Mabouba Diagne (@Mabouba_Diagne_) October 9, 2025

According to data from the National Agency for Statistics and Demography (ANSD), Senegal imported 512,740 tons of corn in 2024. The government’s target implies a reduction of around 103,000 tons from that volume by 2026.

To meet this goal, Dakar is banking on the Africa Agricultural Acceleration Program (AAAP) — a $400 million continental initiative led by the World Bank Group and targeting 32 African countries, including Senegal.

The program aims to help smallholder farmers boost productivity, raise incomes, and create rural jobs by mobilizing private investment, risk-sharing mechanisms with financial institutions, and support for AgriTech startups. These efforts are designed to improve financing and strengthen agricultural value chains.

“The AAAP, aligned with the Plan Sénégal 2050 vision, seeks to build a modern, sustainable, and competitive agriculture through the integrated ‘Grenier du Maïs’ model,” the ministry said. “It rests on five pillars: increased productivity, secure financing, sustainable contracting, digitalization through Tolbi OS, and enhanced storage and processing capacity.”

The government also plans to expand AgriConnect, a national platform managed by the Agriculture Ministry. The program coordinates agricultural projects through the digitalization of input distribution, contract farming, and the structuring of cooperatives to accelerate sector transformation.

Authorities have yet to disclose detailed budgets or implementation timelines for both programs. However, officials say the strategy’s ultimate goal is to reduce Senegal’s exposure to global market volatility and strengthen domestic food security.

Corn is Senegal’s third most-consumed cereal after rice and millet. According to ANSD data, corn imports rose 19% in 2024 and nearly 59% over five years, reaching 512,740 tons from 323,439 tons in 2020.

To reverse this trend, the government is focusing on improving yields and expanding cultivated areas. In the 2023/2024 season, Senegal’s corn fields covered 172,200 hectares, with an average yield of 3.29 tons per hectare, ANSD figures show.

Reducing imports could help stabilize local prices and create economic opportunities for farmers and rural SMEs, particularly as input costs and global grain prices remain volatile. The initiative also supports the country’s goal of achieving greater food sovereignty within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) region.

This article was initially published in French by Stéphanas Assocle

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum