The announcement was made by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Serigne Gueye Diop, during his intervention on RTS in the Point de Vue program. This initiative, which will take into account the areas of Kolda and Ziguinchor, aims to strengthen local sugar production and reduce the country’s dependence on imports.
“I can tell you that today, there are two projects whose studies are very advanced for the production of sugar by two factories in Casamance. This involves producing sugar locally with sugar cane in the Casamance base, Kolda zone and in the Ziguinchor region. These projects have been submitted to the Prime Minister and it is very advanced,” declared the minister.
Serigne Gueye Diop stressed that this initiative is part of a strategy aimed at putting an end to the existing monopoly in the sugar sector in Senegal. “Our government is against monopoly. It’s not even normal that for 50 years a single company has had a monopoly,” he added.
In addition to sugar, the minister also mentioned plans to produce palm oil in Casamance, taking advantage of climatic conditions similar to those of Malaysia, a major global producer of palm oil.
Faced with recent tensions on the market linked to speculation, the minister assured that there was no shortage of essential products such as rice, oil, or sugar. He explained that the temporary closure of imports was intended to promote the flow of local production and regulate the market. Serigne Gueye Diop stressed that significant stocks of sugar are available in the country.
The minister also announced a project to modernize the retail trade with the creation of 2,000 flagship stores across the country. These stores will be equipped with freezing systems and will run on solar energy, ensuring the hygiene and conservation of products. The project aims to create between 20,000 and 30,000 jobs.
The minister insisted on the need to increase national production and modernize distribution networks to effectively meet the needs of the domestic market and strengthen Senegal’s food sovereignty.
With Rts.sn
Senegal
