Senegal is accelerating its march towards food sovereignty. In Saint-Louis, the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock, Dr. Mabouba Diagne, officially launched the 2026 Hot Dry Season (HDS) campaign in the Senegal River Valley, the epicenter of the national strategy to revive rice production.

In a global context marked by health, climate, and geopolitical crises that are permanently weakening food systems, the Senegalese government has chosen to place agriculture, and particularly rice, at the heart of its priorities. This approach is part of the Senegal 2050 Vision, which aims to drastically reduce dependence on imports and ensure food security for the population.

A strategic area par excellence, the Senegal River Valley is the focus of significant public and private investments. It forms the basis of the 2025-2030 Rice Program Contract, the first agricultural campaign of which begins with the hot dry season of 2026. The objective is clear: to modernize and structure the entire rice value chain, from production to marketing.

“The 2025-2034 Food Sovereignty Strategy sets ambitious milestones, perfectly aligned with the Senegal 2050 National Transformation Agenda,” stated Dr. Mabouba Diagne. According to him, the results of the 2025 campaign, achieved despite numerous constraints, demonstrate that the country is on the right track to achieving self-sufficiency.

Ending a costly addiction

Despite progress made, Senegal still imports over one million tons of white rice each year, a significant burden on the national trade balance. The minister deemed this situation unsustainable in an international market that has become uncertain and highly speculative.

To reverse this trend, the State is now opting for an integrated, structured, and sustainable approach, breaking with the fragmented support of the past. The 2026-2030 Rice Program Contract, signed between the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MASAE) and the Intergovernmental Committee for Rice Development (CIRIZ), provides the framework for this new dynamic, clarifying the responsibilities of stakeholders and optimizing the use of resources.

Another major challenge is the marketing of local rice. In this regard, the memorandum of understanding signed in November 2025 between stakeholders in the sector, importers, SAED and the Ministry of Commerce is presented as a decisive step forward in securing the sale of national production.

"The time for declarations of principle is over; now is the time for concerted and methodical action," insisted Dr. Mabouba Diagne, calling on producers, processors, investors, local elected officials and technical services to make a firm and measurable commitment.

The minister also urged the technical bodies SAED, ISRA, ANCAR, DPV, and other partners to redouble their efforts to ensure the success of this campaign, presented as a decisive turning point. Ousseynou Ndiaye, president of the Interprofessional Rice Committee (CIRIZ), commended SAED's efforts in supporting producers, while emphasizing the urgent need to find solutions to the difficulties related to financing the agricultural campaign and marketing.

With the launch of the 2026 hot dry season, the Senegal River Valley is asserting itself more than ever as the spearhead of the national agricultural ambition, which is called upon to make agriculture the true engine of the Senegalese economy.