A delegation from the Senegal Country Office, led by the Resident Representative, made a contact visit to follow up on the implementation of projects underway in the Senegal River Valley. The project in collaboration with the Qatar Fund for Development on climate smart agriculture was reviewed. The project aims to introduce climate smart agriculture practices and the solarization of pumping stations in the DELTA.
The Senegal River valley covers 240,000 ha of which only 75,000 ha are exploited by producers. The introduction of solar energy represents about 2% of the production activity on a 1700km long line. The solar potential could generate an added value in the value chain with an efficiency gain on the energy cost estimated at 35% of the operating account. At least 200,000 producers operate in the valley through production operators, village sections, MSEs, and women’s groups for an ambitious yield of 400,000 tons.
The agronomic component of the project will focus on the subsidy for the provision of improved seeds for beneficiaries copied in the credit committee of our partner, the agricultural bank, for this year’s counter-dry season campaign.
As part of the follow-up of commitments with our implementing partner SAED, the Resident Representative has defined the framework for the follow-up of partners’ commitments in this important phase of the off-dry season with the strengthening of the technical support mechanism on the technical itinerary with a capacity building program and the reporting of input data on the sampling of the project map in the valley
Technical studies on the dimensioning of the solarization component and the feasibility of its implementation in the network of stations connected to the basins of the project’s intervention perimeter will be carried out according to the project’s work plan.
The visit continued at the level of the unions in Kassack, Boundoum, 3PRD and Dibi Tiguette, among other sites, but also with Africa Rice, a key partner in the research and extension of seed varieties in the value chain of the rice sector.
An operational mechanism will be formalized between the parties for the conduct of the sowing season and also throughout the cropping season, with the short-term objective of analyzing reference data on dry season productivity, testing the “CASH for WORK” program on block maintenance and capacity building on crop management.