Groundnut production in Senegal climbed nearly 12% in 2023/2024 season

Published January 8, 2025

SENEGAL – Senegal’s groundnut sector has achieved a notable milestone, recording an 11.5% increase in production during the 2023/2024 crop year.

According to the latest Monthly Bulletin of Economic and Financial Statistics published by the National Agency for Statistics and Demography (ANSD) on January 2, the harvest exceeded 1.67 million tonnes. This figure is just shy of the 1.7 million tonnes target set earlier in the season.

The rise underscores the importance of groundnuts as Senegal’s primary cash crop, dominating in both cultivated area and production volume.

The regions of Kaffrine, Kolda, Kaolack, and Fatick stood out as key contributors, each yielding over 200,000 tonnes.

The 2023/2024 season saw cultivated areas expand by 2.3%, reaching over 1.2 million hectares. This increase was coupled with a substantial rise in financial support from the government, which doubled its budget for groundnut seed subsidies to USD 46.6 million. These measures have provided farmers with the resources to boost productivity.

“The government’s support for seed subsidies and investments in the groundnut sector has been pivotal. This is reflected in the impressive production figures,” stated an official from the Ministry of Agriculture.

This surge in production also comes with strategic adjustments aimed at optimizing the value chain. Authorities have introduced an 8.9% increase in the purchase price for groundnuts, now set at 305 CFA francs per kilogram.

Groundnuts are a critical export commodity for Senegal, generating $138 million in export revenue in 2022. China remains the largest buyer, accounting for USD 128 million of these exports, followed by Switzerland and Morocco.

However, for the 2024/2025 campaign, the government has restricted the export of raw groundnuts to prioritize industrial processing within the country.

“This decision aligns with our goal of maximizing the value-added potential of groundnuts through local processing. It’s a step toward securing sustainable economic benefits,” an industry analyst explained.

Despite Senegal’s strides, it faces stiff competition from other African nations like Nigeria, Sudan, Ghana, and Mali, which continue to make significant contributions to the continent’s groundnut production landscape.