It was in the village of Yangacounda (commune of Bambaly) in the department of Sédhiou that the official ceremony was held this Thursday, August 21, 2025, to launch the distribution of fruit plants to producers in Casamance by the National Program for the Development of Agropoles of Senegal (PNDAS), through the Agropole Sud Project.

Producers, OPA and interprofessional organizations, nurserymen, Administrative and Territorial Authorities, Decentralized Technical Services and Partners were all present.

This activity is part of the Support Component for the Sustainable Improvement of Productivity in Agro-Industrial Sectors, which aims to secure agricultural raw materials, essential for the optimal functioning of the agro-industrial parks currently being implemented by the Program. It is supported by the African Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank, the Project's primary partners alongside the Government of Senegal.

Since 2021, 502,766 fruit plants have already been distributed to 4,667 producers and the first plants have started to bear fruit this season.

Fruit plants in figures

376,000 fruit plants for the establishment of 860 hectares of grafted mango trees and 2,900 hectares of cashew trees will be distributed for the benefit of 3,500 producers, members of OPAs or individual producers, spread across 97 municipalities. More specifically, these are 86,000 mango plants and 290,000 cashew plants with a total value of 332,000,000 FCFA, which will be made available by the Agropole Sud Project, to support producers in the natural Casamance for this 2025 agricultural campaign.

Today's ceremony in Sédhiou will officially launch the distribution of seedlings, which will continue until mid-September in the other municipalities concerned in Casamance with all stakeholders.

Census of beneficiary producers

The beneficiary producers were chosen following a process of inventorying and validating plant requests, carried out in conjunction with partner technical services such as the Regional Water and Forestry Inspectorates (IREFs), the ANCAR Zone Directorates and the three Regional Directorates of Rural Development (DRDR) in the South zone.

The beneficiaries of Sédhiou, for whom the distribution has begun, expressed their satisfaction with this support, which meets their needs and, above all, comes at the right time. They reassured the Project and the authorities that it will be used properly.

Private nurserymen in the spotlight for the production of plants and an important operational system for the monitoring and success of plantations

To produce the plants needed for the 2025 agricultural campaign, production contracts have been signed between ISRA, IREF, and 30 private nursery growers in Casamance Naturelle, which will account for nearly 90% of the plant production. The introduction of these plants into the production system has been a major innovation since 2023.

Also to ensure the success of the plantations, the Project works closely with 19 Producer Organizations and ensures monitoring with an operational system made up of 61 facilitators coordinated by ISRA with the support of a technical assistance firm for Producer Organizations (ATOP).

The Agropole Sud Project contributes to the development of the municipalities of Djirédji and Bambaly

Thus, through this provision of more than 17,300 plants for the benefit of more than 153 producers, including 1,300 grafted mango plants and 16,000 cashew plants, the Agropole Sud Project is responding to the call from the highest authorities to contribute to the reforestation campaign, strengthen household food security and thus offer a sustainable employment alternative to young people in general and to the local population.

The Agropole Sud Project, faithful to its mission of strengthening the capacities of producers

It is important to remember that one of the missions of the Agropole Sud Project is to strengthen the capacities of stakeholders in priority sectors (mango, cashew, corn) to sustainably increase agricultural productivity. Thus, beyond the distribution of fertilizers and quality seeds to corn producers, the Agropole Sud Project is renewing its support to producers and interprofessional organizations by making improved plant varieties available.

Furthermore, to secure plantations against stray animals, more than 110,000 acacia melifera plants worth 38.6 million FCFA are made available to producers in the southern zone.