Kolda, June 27 (APS) – The Agropole south project plans the construction of cereal storage stores with a capacity of 1,700 tonnes in the department of Medina Yoro Foulah, announced its coordinator, Ousseynou Konaté.
“The project will support producers with the construction of grain storage warehouses. It is planned to build a 1,000-ton storage warehouse in Firdawsi, another 500-ton warehouse in Pata and a third 200-ton warehouse in Minal,” he explained on the sidelines of the launch of the distribution of agricultural inputs in Firdawsi, a village in the department of Medina Yéro Foulah.
The construction of these stores is part of a broader objective of cereal storage infrastructure for the natural region of Casamance, formed by the regions of Ziguinchor, Sédhiou and Kolda, added Mr. Konaté.
He stressed that their construction responds to a pressing need in this department considered to be the agricultural breadbasket of the Kolda region, where optimizing harvest conservation capacities is crucial for achieving food security.
“By investing in these facilities, the State hopes to strengthen the resilience of producers in the face of post-harvest challenges and improve the availability of agricultural products throughout the year,” argued the coordinator of Agropole Sud. .
According to him, the Agropole Sud initiative is part of a broader agricultural development strategy aimed at boosting the rural economy and ensuring food security in Senegalese households.
”With these new storage stores, we will be able to better manage our harvests and hope for more stable and secure yields. We can also reassure the State through Agropole Sud that the inputs made available to us will be used as appropriate because here all producers know the importance and role of inputs in agriculture,” assured Mamadou El Hadji Mohamed. Diop, large producer and head of the federation of producers in the area.
The Kolda region, particularly the Medina Yoro Foulah department, is distinguished by the cultivation of corn, a sector targeted by the Agropole Sud project to contribute to the achievement of food sovereignty.
According to the coordinator of Agropole Sud, the Kolda region contributes 70% to the surface area of the 5,000 hectares of certified corn seeds set as an objective this year.
More than 43% of the production results of the previous campaign came from the Medina Yoro Foula department, Ousseynou Konaté said. Which demonstrates, according to him, the commitment of local producers and their determining role in Senegal’s food sovereignty policy.
The Agropole Sud project intends to support producers in the natural region of Casamance in sectors such as cereals (corn), cashew nuts and mangoes.
MG/ASB/OID
