During a recent Council of Ministers meeting, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko focused his remarks on the critical preparations for Senegal’s 2026-2027 winter agricultural campaign. While commending the impressive efforts and achievements of national entities such as the Senegalese Institute of Agricultural Research (ISRA) and Industries Chimiques du Sénégal (ICS) in producing certified seeds and fertilizers, the head of government offered an unvarnished assessment of the sector. He underscored the continued presence of significant structural weaknesses that impede the Executive’s overarching goal of achieving true food sovereignty for Senegal.
 

Addressing seed independence, credit access, and urgent storage infrastructure needs

Among the pressing issues identified by the Prime Minister were the persistent shortfall in seed autonomy, inconsistencies in quality observed during the previous campaign, deficiencies within the producer targeting system, and considerable hurdles in accessing agricultural credit. Ousmane Sonko also highlighted inadequate maintenance of farming equipment and a striking scarcity of storage facilities across the nation.

To rectify distribution disparities and combat the diversion of agricultural inputs, he mandated an accelerated digitalization of the entire supply chain, drawing on the proven success of pilot initiatives in the Tivaouane and Nioro regions. Pending a comprehensive overhaul of agricultural subsidies, state services are tasked with rigorously ensuring cost transparency and the effective provision of essential inputs throughout Senegal.