• Senegal authorizes onion imports from September 19 to December 31, 2025.
• The decision addresses depleted local stocks despite record 2025 production estimates.
• The Netherlands supplied nearly 90% of Senegal's 2024 onion imports.

Senegal has authorized onion imports from September 19 to December 31, 2025. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in conjunction with the Market Regulation Agency (ARM) and the Senegal Onion Interprofessional Organization (IPOS), implemented this measure to ensure consistent domestic market supply. Onions represent Senegal's primary cultivated, consumed, and traded vegetable. Despite a projected record harvest for 2025, current production levels remain insufficient to meet year-round domestic demand.

Industry Minister Serigne Guèye Diop stated in a circular, “With the depletion of local stocks observed, it appears necessary to guarantee a regular and adequate supply for the domestic market.” This announcement also suggests local production, estimated at 450,000 tonnes, satisfied market needs for the first nine months of the year.

Senegal will likely source its international onion supply from traditional partners. Trade Map data indicates the West African nation imported 177,803 tonnes of onions, valued at $39 million, in 2024. The Netherlands accounted for 89.8% of this volume, approximately 155,000 tonnes, while Morocco, China, and other European Union countries covered the remaining demand.

This article was initially published in French by Stéphanas Assocle

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum