The latest move builds on earlier efforts to reduce rising rice stocks and increase sales of locally produced rice.

SENEGAL – Senegal has suspended the issuance of Food Import Declarations for rice for one month as the government steps up efforts to increase sales of locally produced rice and reduce growing stocks at local rice mills.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade announced the measure after a meeting with key players in the rice sector. The suspension, which took effect on July 8, marks the second time the government has taken this step after introducing a similar measure in November 2025.

The decision comes as local rice producers continue to struggle against cheaper imported rice. According to the Société d’aménagement et d’exploitation des terres du delta et des vallées du fleuve Sénégal et de la Falémé (SAED), rice mills currently hold about 37,000 tonnes of white rice in storage.

Alongside the import suspension, the government will require traders to purchase set quantities of locally produced rice before they can receive new import approvals. Officials expect the measure to increase demand for domestic rice and move more of the available stock into the market.

The government has also fixed the purchase price for local rice at 280 CFA francs per kilogram (about US$0.49), while rice mills will receive public support of 50 CFA francs per kilogram (about US$0.09) to help cover part of their processing costs.

The latest action comes only a few months after Senegal announced plans to strengthen oversight of the rice sector through a national chapter of the ECOWAS Rice Observatory. The Ministry of Agriculture said the platform would improve coordination across the rice value chain and support local producers facing weak demand and rising imports.

“The actors will proceed with the adoption of an inclusive governance framework, the establishment of steering bodies and the development of a roadmap to operationalize the chapter in favor of competitive and sustainable local rice,” the ministry said when announcing the initiative in March.

Imported rice still supplies most of Senegal’s market. Many consumers continue to choose imported products because they cost less, have a more uniform appearance, and come in different package sizes.

The pressure has left producers with large unsold stocks. Farmers in Dagana warned in October 2025 that nearly 195,000 tonnes of paddy and milled rice could remain unsold, while producers and processors in Saint Louis reported more than 50,000 tonnes of rice in storage by late March this year.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, Senegal is expected to produce about 670,000 tonnes of milled rice during the 2026/2027 season. However, national consumption is projected at nearly 2.35 million tonnes. The agency expects rice imports to rise by 7.69% to about 1.4 million tonnes to help meet demand.

Published Date: July 14, 2026