Madagascar and Senegal pursue new agricultural partnerships

Madagascar and Japan have signed an agreement for the 2026 Food Assistance Program. Under this partnership, Japan will provide a rice donation valued at 300 million yen to bolster Madagascar’s national food supply. This initiative aims to address challenges such as climate change, recurring droughts, and flooding. The program utilizes a sustainable mechanism where the Malagasy government will sell the rice on the local market at accessible prices, using the generated revenue to fund socio-economic development projects.

Separately, Senegal and Indonesia are working to establish a new agricultural partnership focused on mechanization and food sovereignty. Discussions in Dakar highlighted priorities including improved productivity through modern production methods, water management, and the use of resilient seeds. A significant proposed project involves the planting of 60,000 hectares of oil palm. To implement these initiatives, both nations are considering the creation of a joint technical working group to oversee the transfer of expertise and technology.