Senegal: African Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank fund livestock project to improve animal product quality

Partners in the first phase of Senegal's five-year National Integrated Livestock Development Program (French acronym PNDIES-P1) met on 28 May.

Workshop participants included Senegal's Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock, the African Development Bank (AfDB) the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The project three project components -- animal productivity, products and product processing, animal product marketing and skill enhancement, and project coordination and management -- will help make the country’s livestock sector more competitive and sustainably increase employment opportunities for young people and women in livestock value chains. It will do so by sustainably increasing livestock productivity and production. improving the processing and marketing of animal products, and raising skills levels industry wide.

Phase 1 of the project represents an investment of 78.60 million euros, of which the AfDB provides 39.30 million, the IDB 39 provides million euros and 300,000 euros come from the Global Climate Centre (GCA).

It will be implemented in the regions of Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Louga, Kaffrine, Kaolack, Kolda, Sédhiou, Thiès and Ziguinchor and directly benefit at least 32,000 people working in livestock value chains, including 16,000 women and young people. A further 950,000 people (51% of whom are women) will receive indirect benefits.

More generally, the project will help improve food security, nutrition and public health among Senegal's rural and urban populations by establishing a control system for food products of animal origin to ensure product safety. Veterinary services will be redeployed across the country and regional laboratories will be built or renovated to will help eliminate unofficial slaughtering and improve the hygiene and safety of animal products.

During the project’s two-year participatory, holistic and inclusive design phase, the technical departments of the relevant ministries were involved along with organisations involving farmers and processors, women and youth groups, other civil society actors, the private sector and technical and financial partners.

Opening the workshop, Ousmane Mbaye, Secretary General of the Senegalese Ministry of Agriculture, stressed the importance of the program for achieving food sovereignty and self-sufficiency in animal products. He acknowledged the support of the African Development Bank and thanked it on behalf of the Senegalese government for “its constant support to the livestock sector.”

Hatem Fellah, representing Mohamed Cherif, head of the AfDB country office in Senegal, praised the energetic cooperation among the three financing parties -- AfDB, IDB and GCA -- and the Senegalese government. He emphasised the importance that the African Development Bank attaches to the program’s efficient implementation and ultimate success, adding that the Bank will do all it can to support the work of the Ministry's teams during program implementation.

As of 25 April 2024, the active portfolio of AfDB Group in Senegal comprised 39 operations with financing of around 2.5 billion euros. The agricultural sector accounts for 21% of the total amount, behind transport (30%), finance (15%), governance (10%), energy (8%), water and sanitation (7%), industry (4%), social (3%) and communication (2%).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

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