Agricultural products: An investment of 175 billion envisaged to strengthen the storage mechanism

As part of the planning, processing and marketing of agricultural and livestock products, the government of Senegal plans to make storage one of its priorities.

A large batch of storage equipment, including cold rooms, will be delivered by the end of the year to Fass Boye and Sangalkam. The announcement was made this Friday by Serigne Guèye Diop, Minister of Industry and Commerce. An investment of 175 billion CFA francs in storage infrastructure is also announced, with the aim of being able to store 250,000 tonnes of agricultural products per year.

Mr. Diop also announces the establishment of an equalization and stabilization fund for the price of local rice. The mechanism will be funded by a levy of 8 FCFA on each kilogram of imported rice marketed in Senegal.

According to the Minister of Industry and Commerce, this mechanism should generate between 13 and 15 billion FCFA per year. These resources would make it possible to support the national rice sector and, in particular, to help maintain the price of local rice at a lower level than that of imported rice.

The stated objective is to create a support mechanism to better regulate the price of local rice and strengthen its competitiveness against imported products.

O.BA