• Senegal launches Agropole Centre to boost central-region agro-processing
• CFA 107.4 billion project targets cereals, peanuts, salt value addition
• Zone aims to create jobs, cut food imports, support food sovereignty

Senegal has launched the Agropole Centre agro-industrial processing zone, a project aimed at boosting local agricultural processing in the country’s central regions, the Senegalese Press Agency (APS) reported. The launch took place on Dec. 16.

The project carries a total cost of 107.4 billion FCFA ($191.7 million). It is financed by the state with support from several technical and financial partners, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the Belgian Development Agency (Enabel).

Authorities said the Agropole Centre is expected to support 37 priority projects in strategic sectors such as peanuts, dry cereals, including millet, maize, and sorghum, sesame, and salt. The project will cover the regions of Kaolack, Kaffrine, Fatick, and Diourbel, with a focus on developing industrial facilities and processing hubs.

The initiative aims to significantly raise the region’s agro-processing capacity. Targeted processing rates are expected to increase from 6% to 30% for cereals, from 15% to 50% for peanuts, and from 10% to 30% for salt.

The project is also expected to generate strong socio-economic benefits. Authorities estimate it will create nearly 130,000 direct jobs and more than 200,000 indirect jobs, mainly for young people and women. It also seeks to raise producer incomes by adding value to locally sourced raw materials.

“The Agropole Centre is a major project designed to promote territorial equity by turning the central zone into a hub for agro-industrial processing,” said Babou Dramé, the project coordinator. He said the zone is intended to drive local value addition and job creation through the processing of agricultural products.

The Agropole Centre forms part of an integrated value chain development strategy. The Ministry of Industry and Trade oversees components related to processing and industrialization, while the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock is responsible for strengthening the supply of raw materials.

Part of a national programme

The Agropole Centre is one of several regional projects under Senegal’s National Programme for the Development of Agropoles (PNDAS), which aims to modernize and structure the country’s agro-industrial sector. The programme includes additional agropoles in the South (Ziguinchor, Kolda, Sédhiou), the West (Thiès), the North (Saint-Louis, Louga, Matam), and the East (Tambacounda, Kédougou).

PNDAS is built around regional specialization. The northern agropole focuses on rice, export horticulture, livestock, and fisheries, while the southern agropole prioritizes mango, cashew, and maize.

For the government, these projects are a key pillar of Senegal’s food sovereignty strategy. Strengthening local processing is intended to increase value added, stimulate agricultural production, reduce reliance on food imports, and improve the country’s trade balance.

Senegal is the second largest food importer in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). According to UNCTAD data, the country imported an average of nearly $1.88 billion worth of food products per year between 2021 and 2023, with rice, wheat, maize, palm oil, dairy products, and sugar accounting for the bulk of the bill.

Stéphanas Assocle