The Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock, Dr Mabouba Diagne, announced his commitment to settle a debt of 9 billion CFA francs contracted by rice producers in the Senegal River valley. This debt, accumulated over three years, is linked to the financing of rice activities in a region hard hit by floods, which prevented farmers from harvesting their agricultural areas for several months.
Dr Mabouba Diagne made this decision at the opening of the National Rice Culture Conference, which is currently being held in Saint-Louis. The minister declared: “We will find a solution to this 9 billion debt, but you will have to respect your word. »
By promising to settle this debt and take action on infrastructure, Dr Mabouba Diagne is sending a strong signal: that of a government determined to restore hope to an essential sector for the food future of Senegal.
These national meetings, organized jointly by the Delta and Falémé Land Development Company (SAED) and CIRIZ, will take place over three days. They aim to formulate strong recommendations to achieve the objective of food sovereignty included in the “Senegal 2050” program.
The participants hope that these recommendations will not only resolve immediate problems, such as the dilapidated agricultural infrastructure, but also lay the foundations for sustainable development of the rice sector.
For rice farmers in the Senegal River valley, the minister’s announcement represents a breath of fresh air after months of uncertainty. However, many are waiting for concrete actions to support this financial commitment, in particular investments in the modernization of equipment and better management of climate risks.
The floods, coupled with the invasion of migratory birds, have seriously affected the yields of rice producers in this strategic area for food self-sufficiency in Senegal. These climatic hazards, recurring in the region, jeopardize agricultural development efforts and reinforce the financial difficulties of rice farmers.
The president of CIRIZ, Ousseynou Ndiaye, reminded the minister of the scale of these challenges and called for structural solutions to prevent such crises from recurring. He particularly insisted on the need to modernize agricultural developments and strengthen protection systems against flooding and nuisance caused by birds.
M. DIOP
