SENEGAL – Senegal has set its sights on Uganda’s dairy sector as a model to enhance its own milk production, with the aim of reducing its dependence on imports.
As one of the main markets for milk and milk products in West Africa, Senegal is taking steps to improve its domestic dairy production.
In a bid to strengthen its local industry, Mabouba Diagne, Senegal’s Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Livestock, recently visited Uganda on an exchange mission.
The mission, which also included Bright Rwamirama, Uganda’s Minister in charge of Animal Industry, focused on sharing experiences to benefit Senegal’s dairy sector.
The announcement of the visit was made in a press release on January 10.
The discussions between the two ministers centered on four strategic areas essential to advancing Senegal’s dairy production.
These included the development of dairy production infrastructure, the promotion of cooperative systems, technological innovations in dairy farming, and providing support to farmers to ensure sustainable and competitive production.
According to the press release, the goal of these exchanges is to adapt Uganda’s successful experiences to the unique realities of Senegal, thereby strengthening the national dairy sector and reducing the country’s reliance on imports.
Uganda has become a model for the region due to its growing milk production, which increased by nearly 20% in 2023, reaching 3.85 million tonnes.
This impressive growth has made Uganda a net exporter of dairy products, with its export earnings doubling in the same year.
According to a report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Uganda’s dairy sector continues to thrive, serving as a valuable reference for countries like Senegal, which currently imports approximately 50% of its dairy product needs.
A report by the USDA published in July highlighted the challenges faced by Senegal’s dairy sector, which struggles with high import bills.
Data from the National Agency of Statistics and Demography (ANSD) revealed that Senegal imported over 27,700 tonnes of dairy products in the first ten months of 2024, valued at 53.4 billion CFA francs, or about US$83.5 million.
In light of these challenges, Senegal is working to find solutions inspired by Uganda’s dairy model to boost productivity on local dairy farms.
The partnership between the two nations is seen as crucial for developing a more resilient and competitive dairy sector in Senegal.
By leveraging Uganda’s success, Senegal hopes to reduce its dependency on foreign dairy products while enhancing the sustainability of its own industry.
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