Senegal PM Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo announces urgent agricultural measures

Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo chaired an inter‑ministerial council in Dakar to set out immediate actions for Senegal’s 2026 agricultural campaign. He highlighted a critical rice surplus in the Senegal River valley, ordering the industry ministry to release stalled stocks and to establish a regulatory mechanism for imports to improve market flow. The plan also calls for stress‑tolerant maize varieties, increased local production of millet, sorghum and beans, accelerated distribution of improved seed for those crops, and fast‑tracking the framework agreement on peanuts. For cotton, Lo directed the use of 3.5 billion CFA francs for input subsidies and mechanisation, while urging private‑sector involvement in peanut quality control and cashew support. Horticulture measures include promoting local potato seed, building safety stocks and expanding export opportunities.

In parallel, Lo demanded swift payment of fertilizer and seed supplier invoices to secure timely input delivery. He instructed ministries to negotiate with the banking pool, decentralized finance systems and the BCEAO for pre‑financing, to release an early tranche of credit, and to set up a rapid invoice‑clearing plan. The decree also mandates at least 30 % of inputs for women and youth, deployment of 1,000 young volunteers for parcel geolocation, and investment in storage, cold‑chain and soil‑restoration programmes.