The Senegalese government announced a series of measures on Tuesday aimed at accelerating the sale of locally produced rice.
The move comes just days after rice farmers from the Senegal River Valley staged protests in Ross-Béthio to denounce poor sales and mounting, unsold inventories. In an official statement, the Senegalese Ministry of Industry and Commerce reaffirmed its commitment to the national rice sector, assuring stakeholders that concrete actions are underway to support producers, improve market distribution, and strengthen the country’s food sovereignty. The government’s intervention follows urgent warnings from valley rice farmers regarding severe distribution bottlenecks, with unsold stocks estimated at several hundred thousand metric tons threatening the economic viability of the entire sector.
The Ministry noted that several initiatives have already been launched under its import-substitution policy, including the purchase of approximately 9,000 metric tons of white rice by importers at 350 FCFA per kilogram, which was brokered by the Market Regulation Agency and the Directorate of Domestic Trade. This effort runs alongside an import freeze on bananas, onions, and potatoes to prioritize the sale of domestic crops, as well as a promotional campaign to encourage the consumption of local rice. Acknowledging that Senegalese rice still faces a competitiveness gap against imports due to high production costs and marketing challenges, the Ministry of Commerce indicated it has entered talks with traders and economic operators to establish a sustainable, nationwide purchasing and distribution framework.
Following these discussions, a number of commercial operators expressed their readiness to buy local rice and integrate it into standard retail networks. Furthermore, the government plans to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Wednesday in Dakar with partner merchants. The signing ceremony will be held in the presence of the Prime Minister’s Office, as well as the Ministries of Finance and Agriculture. This agreement will formalize the volumes of rice that traders commit to purchasing, set a retail price of 280 FCFA per kilogram—backed by a 50 FCFA subsidy paid to millers—and outline logistical distribution methods to stabilize prices for the benefit of producers, distributors, and consumers alike.
Finally, the Ministry announced that a monitoring tour and Regional Development Committee meetings dedicated to local rice distribution will be organized by the end of July in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture. Authorities reiterated that the rice sector is a strategic pillar of food security and economic sovereignty, promising that all necessary steps will be taken in consultation with industry stakeholders to secure long-term market outlets for national production and restore farmer confidence.
TE/Sf/lb/abj/APA