• Senegal launches 250,000-ton cold storage in Ngomène
• Part of $314.8 million Agricool cold chain program
• Aims to cut 30-40% post-harvest losses, stabilize prices

Senegal's Minister of Industry and Commerce, Serigne Guéye Diop, has begun construction of a cold storage warehouse in Ngomène, Thiès region.

The facility, designed to store onions and potatoes, will have an initial capacity of 250,000 metric tons, expandable to one million tons in the long term. It will allow produce to be stored for up to 12 months.

According to local media reports, the initiative aims to reduce post-harvest losses in the Ngomène area over the next two years. Nationwide, such losses are estimated at between 30% and 40% of production.

A $300 Million Project

The Ngomène site is part of a broader program known as "Agricool," which plans to establish a network of controlled-atmosphere storage facilities to modernize the country’s agricultural cold chain. The program is structured as a public-private partnership worth 170 billion CFA francs, equivalent to $314.8 million, signed in September between the Ministry of Commerce and the company Agricool.

Project officials said the program includes plans to build 10 facilities similar to the Ngomène site in key production zones, including the Niayes, Casamance, Matam, as well as central and eastern regions of the country. An additional cold storage unit with a capacity of 2,500 tons is planned in Kayar by 2027.

Beyond storage, the program also incorporates renewable energy. The sites will be powered by solar installations with a combined capacity of more than 50 megawatts, part of which could be fed into the national grid.

The accelerated rollout of the Agricool network comes as horticultural production has risen sharply. In 2025, Senegal produced nearly 450,000 tons of onions, 245,000 tons of potatoes and 112,500 tons of bananas, all record levels that have increased pressure on storage capacity, which remains insufficient.

The program is also expected to help stabilize the domestic market during periods of abundant harvests. The lack of cold storage facilities has contributed to seasonal price volatility, a recurring challenge for both producers and consumers.

"Senegal closed its borders to potato imports for 12 months and to banana imports for three months. Next year, we will close the borders for 12 months for potatoes and six months for bananas," Diop said, according to local outlet Dakar Actu.

Post-harvest losses cost the country nearly 50 billion CFA francs, equivalent to $89.9 million, annually due to insufficient storage and preservation infrastructure for horticultural products, according to official data.

Stéphanas Assocle