Arabfields, Dakar, Senegal — Amid escalating soil degradation and a growing reliance on food imports, Senegal is urgently reevaluating its production strategies to secure long-term food self-sufficiency. This West African nation, home to over 18 million people, faces mounting challenges in its agricultural sector, which employs about 70 percent of the workforce and contributes roughly 17 percent to the gross domestic product. With climate variability exacerbating issues like erratic rainfall and land deterioration, experts and farmers alike are calling for a shift toward sustainable practices, including enhanced irrigated agriculture along the Senegal River.

Senegal’s climate is characterized by a distinct rainy season, typically spanning from late June through September, though it can extend into October in some years. This period, known as the wet season in the Sahel region, brings the bulk of the country’s annual precipitation, averaging between 300 and 1,500 millimeters depending on the latitude, with southern areas receiving more. However, recent trends show increasing unpredictability, with shorter and more erratic rainy seasons leading to frequent droughts and floods that disrupt planting and harvesting cycles. These climatic shifts directly threaten rainfed agriculture, which dominates the sector and makes rural populations highly vulnerable to weather anomalies.

Agriculture in Senegal revolves around a mix of traditional and staple crops that form the backbone of rural livelihoods and national food supply. “In terms of agricultural production, we have peanuts and millet as the major traditional crops. To this, we add corn, rice, and other food crops,” explain local producers, highlighting the sector’s diversity.

Peanuts, or groundnuts, remain Senegal’s flagship cash crop, with production historically fluctuating due to weather and market conditions. In the 2023/24 marketing year, peanut output was estimated at around 1.5 million tonnes, though soil health issues have tempered growth. Millet and sorghum, hardy cereals well-suited to the semi-arid climate, are primary subsistence crops. The 2024 aggregate cereal production, including millet, sorghum, corn, and rice, is forecast at 3.8 million tonnes, an 8 percent increase over the five-year average but still vulnerable to climatic risks. Sorghum alone is projected at 330,000 tonnes for 2024/25, cultivated on approximately 260,000 hectares.

Rice and corn production is concentrated in the northern Senegal River Valley and the southern Casamance region, where water availability supports cultivation. However, Senegal is not a major producer of these grains on a global scale. Milled rice production for 2024/25 is estimated to drop by 42 percent from previous years, partly due to water shortages and inefficiencies in irrigation systems. The country imports over half of its rice needs, underscoring the gap between domestic output and demand. Corn, while increasingly important, faces similar constraints, with yields often hampered by pests and variable rainfall.

Experts attribute much of Senegal’s agricultural woes to poor farming practices, including the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which have led to widespread soil degradation. “The salinization of our soils inland no longer favors good agricultural production. Some farmers have been forced to leave these lands to come to Dakar and take up another job,” warn agricultural specialists.

Soil salinization, a process where salts accumulate in the topsoil, rendering it infertile, is particularly acute in irrigated areas like the Senegal River Valley. This phenomenon, exacerbated by poor irrigation management and rising sea levels in coastal zones, affects over 50 percent of cultivated land in regions like the Sine-Saloum Delta. Salinity disrupts soil structure, reduces nutrient availability, and inhibits plant growth, leading to yield losses of up to 50 percent in affected areas. In the western coast, efforts to bioreclaim saline soils through techniques like planting salt-tolerant species have shown promise, but the problem persists due to ongoing climate pressures.

Excessive pesticide use compounds these issues, contaminating water sources and harming biodiversity. Farmers, in a bid to combat pests like locusts and birds, often apply chemicals indiscriminately, leading to soil toxicity and health risks for communities. This has contributed to desertification and land abandonment, driving rural-urban migration and straining urban resources in cities like Dakar.

Climate change amplifies these vulnerabilities. Projections indicate warmer temperatures and reduced rainfall in western Sahel, including Senegal, potentially decreasing crop yields by 10-20 percent with even modest rainfall declines. Droughts and floods, increasingly common, erode soil fertility and disrupt nutrition security, particularly in rainfed systems that account for most production.

To achieve food sovereignty, stakeholders emphasize leveraging the Dagana region, a narrow strip in the lower Senegal River Delta known for its irrigated agriculture. “To ensure its food sovereignty, our country should rely heavily on the Dagana zone, which is a small strip located in the lower valley of the Senegal River Delta. This region is known for its irrigated agriculture along the Senegal River. It’s a strip of land where there is horticulture, market gardening. This strip produces practically 60 percent of what Senegal uses in terms of agricultural products,” note experts.

The Senegal River Valley, encompassing Dagana and Podor departments, is Senegal’s agricultural powerhouse, thanks to irrigation infrastructure developed since the 1980s, including the Manantali Dam. Irrigated rice constitutes about 2 percent of total harvested area but plays a outsized role in output, with the valley supporting most rice production through double-cropping systems. Agriculture here accounts for 73 percent of the nation’s agricultural water withdrawals, underscoring its importance. Satellite data reveals that irrigation expansions have boosted land cultivation, though challenges like water quality persist.

Horticulture and market gardening in Dagana yield vegetables, fruits, and other high-value crops, contributing significantly to domestic supply and exports. Investments in roads, small-scale irrigation, and rural electrification in the valley could further accelerate growth, according to studies.

Senegal’s government has launched several programs to address these challenges. The National Adaptation Plan for the agricultural sector, adopted in 2025, targets droughts, floods, and land degradation to bolster food sovereignty. Climate-Smart Agriculture initiatives, supported by organizations like the World Bank and CGIAR, promote practices such as agroforestry, cover cropping, and soil restoration to enhance resilience. The Plan Sénégal Emergent identifies agriculture as a key driver for poverty reduction.

Actors in the sector urge public authorities to prioritize irrigated agriculture along the Senegal River, investing in sustainable infrastructure to mitigate salinization and expand productive land. Promoting agroecology, which enhances soil health and biodiversity, is also advocated as a pathway to sustainable farming. International partners like IFAD support these efforts through loans aimed at increasing food security and rural employment.

As Senegal navigates these complexities, the focus remains on building resilient agricultural systems that can withstand climate shocks while ensuring equitable access to resources. By tending to its soils, diversifying crops, and harnessing irrigated zones like Dagana, the nation aims to reduce import dependency and foster self-sufficiency. Rural communities, with their deep knowledge of the land, are central to this vision, but sustained investment and policy reforms will be crucial for success. With global support and local innovation, Senegal’s agricultural sector could not only feed its people but also serve as a model for Sahelian resilience.