Senegal's Agriculture Minister, Cheikhou Oumar Ba, has announced several measures to support farmers in the Matam region who are struggling with drought. The measures include providing maize seeds and fertilizers to affected farmers. The minister made the announcement during a national tour to monitor the agricultural campaign in the region. He stated that the measures aim to mitigate the effects of the drought on farmers' livelihoods.
The minister announced that maize seeds will be made available to farmers starting from the following week. He also revealed that a meeting will be held to review and consolidate the needs expressed by farmers. According to the minister, the needs identified will be addressed within a week, with fertilizer support also provided. This move is expected to help farmers in the region recover from the drought.
Minister Ba emphasized that farmers were advised to prioritize certain crops based on weather forecasts. He explained that farmers were counseled to adapt to the drought conditions, and they accepted the advice. The minister's tour included visits to several agricultural perimeters in the Matam region, including those of the "Molle Golléré" association in Thilogne and the Kobilo and Bosséa 1 casiers.
During his tour, the minister stressed the importance of adapting crop choices to weather conditions and water availability. He cited the example of the Matam region, where water management enables the development of hybrid maize with high yield potential. The minister also highlighted the state's efforts to share climate information with stakeholders and anticipate difficulties related to weather conditions.
The minister stated that the state had taken several measures to mitigate the effects of the drought, including strengthening the availability of maize, watermelon, and cowpea seeds in the Matam region. He also revealed that exchanges with farmers had shown that input quotas had been increased and delivered on time. However, farmers requested shorter delivery times for future campaigns.
The tour allowed the minister and his delegation to engage directly with local actors on the challenges faced and the support measures to be implemented. This visit is part of the monitoring of the agricultural campaign and the evaluation of the devices put in place by the state to anticipate difficulties related to climate conditions.
The measures announced by the minister aim to support farmers in the Matam region who are struggling with drought. The government's efforts to mitigate the effects of the drought on farmers' livelihoods are ongoing, with a focus on providing necessary support to ensure food security and sustainable agriculture practices in the region.
Key points
- The Senegalese government has announced measures to support farmers affected by drought in the Matam region, including the provision of maize seeds and fertilizers.
- The measures aim to mitigate the effects of the drought on farmers' livelihoods and promote sustainable agriculture practices.
- The government's efforts focus on providing necessary support to ensure food security and sustainable agriculture practices in the region.
