The report builds on and complements a previous analysis (World Bank 2015), which provides a comprehensive review of the groundnut value chain in Senegal and the role of the country in the groundnut oil global markets.
What is a groundnut crop in Senegal?
Groundnut is the major cash and food crop in Senegal representing up to 60% of the cultivated area and 70% of rural labor force. The groundnut sector contributes up to 6.5% of GDP. The crop is produced under rainfed conditions mainly in the northern, central and southern groundnut basins.
How did Senegal develop the groundnut industry?
Senegal’s groundnut sector was originally developed by colonial authorities, using a monopoly over exports to control the domestic market. Prices were negotiated annually before each harvest, and applied uniformly throughout the year in all parts of the country.
Can Senegal export groundnuts?
Direct exports of whole nuts from Senegal were permitted only occasionally, such as during the boom years around 1975, until Senegal joined the world market tendency to trade groundnuts in that form in 2014 and 2015. Before 2014, Senegal was transforming almost all of its surplus nuts into oil and meal and exporting both.