Farmers grow profits as agricultural cooperatives take off in Senegal
Lompoul-sur-Mer, a small town on Senegal’s Grande Côte north of Dakar, is particularly lively this morning. The vegetable market bustles as market gardeners, traders, and everyday consumers from all over the country come together.
After a short walk, we arrive at the farm of Malick Bâ, who has farmed onions for 35 years.
‘In a few days, we will be ready to harvest the onions. They are of superior quality, with flawless, intact skins,’ he tells us.
Fields of high-quality onions are a relatively new sight in the area.
‘Before PACAO-Senegal’s intervention, we used to harvest onions before they fully matured, hoping to sell early and meet repayment deadlines for input suppliers. Thanks to the cooperative’s bulk purchasing, we now have access to inputs at more affordable prices,’ says Sala Sow, who has been producing onions for 36 years.
Malick and Sala belong to the Bamtaré Thiepp Lompoul cooperative society, where he is the chairman of the board of directors and she is vice chairwoman. The cooperative was established in 2021 with the support of the West Africa Competitiveness Support Programme, known as PACAO-Senegal, at the International Trade Centre (ITC).
Today, this cooperative brings together 26 organizations, representing more than 1,700 producers. Bamtaré Thiepp Lompoul is one of the 29 market-oriented agricultural cooperatives set up with the ITC support in the regions of Dakar, Thiès, Louga, Saint-Louis, Matam, Fatick, Kolda, Ziguinchor, and Sédhiou. The European Union funded the work through PACAO-Senegal.
‘This cooperative society is a first for us because, before, we were only organized in small groups like economic interest groups. It was nearly impossible for us to work cohesively and defend the interests of our sector,’ Malick said. Poor yields were common.
Aliou Bayal Sow is a trained lawyer, holding a degree in public international law from the University of Sahel in Dakar. In May 2015, following the passing of his father, he put his studies aside to return to farming. His initial experiences were not successful. However, today, thanks to the technical support provided by PACAO-Senegal, those difficult times are far behind him.
‘Before, we farmed without any real knowledge of our activity. The losses were significant, and we were on the verge of giving up agriculture,’ he said. ‘Today, with PACAO-Senegal’s support, seeds are available on time, and we have also benefited from technical and managerial capacity-building that has significantly improved our yields. We have mastered farming practices, marketing, sales, accounting, and even financial statement preparation.’
Agricultural cooperatives like Bamtaré Thieppe Lompoul play a key role in empowering farmers. Their formalization has been made easier through e-RSCOOP, a digital registration platform for cooperatives launched under PACAO-Senegal in 2021. To date, 1,661 cooperatives have been registered.
‘With e-RSCOOP, registration is seamless. It is transforming how agricultural cooperatives operate and grow,’ says Oumar Mbengue, Regional Director of Rural Development in Dakar.
Beyond agriculture, e-RSCOOP is also helping other sectors professionalize.
“Before, we worked informally, which made feed and chicks expensive,’ said Maodo Yauck, President of Senegal’s Poultry Entrepreneurs Cooperative. ‘With our cooperative, we now buy in bulk, making it more cost-effective.’
By formalizing, these poultry entrepreneurs have saved enough to create a financial reserve. In Lompoul-sur-Mer, Sala Sow eagerly awaits her next harvest, while Bayal takes pride in being among the young people choosing to stay and build their community.
