Senegal's AgriTech start-ups get involved in the cashew nut industry

Working towards precision agriculture

In recent years, data and digital technologies have transformed Senegalese agriculture. To meet growing food needs, agritech helps farmers optimize their production, while ensuring their farms make money. The cashew nut sector, vital to the most vulnerable farming households, could well benefit from the latest digital advances. On the initiative of NTF V projects in Senegal, a delegation of agritech start-ups left Dakar to explore the regions of Ziguinchor, Goudomp and Kolda – the cradles of Senegal’s cashew nut production.

Securing production

The visits highlighted the problems facing the farms: soil depletion, weak production quality, insufficient yields, lack of traceability and difficult market access.

‘The farmers we met told us that 30% of their harvest was lost every year, because the grading of the nuts didn't meet the international standards required for export,’ said Yoro Diaw, head of Suqali Mbay Mi and a specialist in predictive data. ‘Precision agriculture can play a significant role: Suqali Mbay Mi proposes to sample and analyze the soil to better understand its condition, and provide guidelines for more effective farming practices. The data collected is then used to optimize water and nutrient inputs, to guarantee production size and volume. The harvest is traced and then sold without intermediaries on our online platform.’

Ultimately, the innovation is designed to satisfy all links in the chain: consumers gain in transparency. Processors can predict how many cashews they’ll receive. And farmers can make a better living from their work.

Opening up new trade routes

On the logistics front, however, other difficulties emerged. In Senegal's remote countryside, transportation and storage are often lacking, making it difficult to access markets. This is a challenge that Tamsir Traore is keen to take up. His company,  Logidoo, provides cross-border logistics solutions in nine African countries.

‘I was struck by the situation of the farmers we met,’ he said. ‘I'm convinced that our transport solutions can bring significant added value to our regions, by opening up new trade corridors. Our digital platform compares the different freights available, calculates the most competitive offer and automatically manages customs procedures. Transactions are greatly simplified. The tool is designed to be intuitive. But to meet the particular needs of farmers still unfamiliar with digital technologies, the start-up is currently developing a WhatsApp-compatible version. Farmers will soon be able to send photos of their goods, and benefit from a virtual assistant able to provide information in the local language.’

An alliance to meet the challenges of the cashew nut industry

These are just some of the solutions that caught the attention of the agricultural businesses visited during the mission. Several of them, such as Casadeliz, SCPL, Ethicajou and Ideal Business Center, recognized how digital technology could make them more competitive in Senegal and internationally. As for start-ups, the time has come to pool talent and forge strategic partnerships. A joint technical offering has been formalized, introducing predictive analysis with Suqali Mbay Mi, e-commerce with Proxalys and logistics with Logidoo.

‘We're fully aware of the cashew nut industry's needs, and we know that digital can help to move things forward. By bringing together our various areas of expertise, we are able to provide a complete solution. Through this consortium, we are sending a strong signal to the public authorities. We're ready,’ Yoro Diaw said.

The Netherlands Trust Fund V (NTF) program (July 2021 – June 2025) is based on a partnership between the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Trade Centre. NTF V supports SMEs in the digital technology and agribusiness sectors in Benin, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Senegal and Uganda. Its ambition is to contribute to an inclusive and sustainable transformation of agri-food systems partly through digital solutions, to improve the international competitiveness of local tech start-ups and to support the implementation of the export strategy of IT&BPO companies.