DAKAR, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Senegal has made rebuilding its national seed stock an "absolute priority" as part of efforts to achieve food sovereignty, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock Cheikhou Oumar Ba said Tuesday.
"Food sovereignty largely depends on our collective ability to produce, multiply and make available to farmers high-quality certified seeds that are climate-resilient and high-yielding," Ba said at the opening of a workshop in Dakar.
The meeting was organized to review the Senegalese Institute of Agricultural Research's 2025 seed production performance and plan its programs for 2026.
According to Ba, the institute produced 49,797 kg of pre-basic seeds for several strategic crops during the rainy season and mobilized 102,340 kg during the hot dry season, while private seed growers produced 572,438 kg of groundnut seeds.
"These results are encouraging, but they should not be regarded as an end in themselves," he said, adding that they should serve as indicators for assessing progress, identifying remaining gaps and determining the efforts still required.
The minister called for a more integrated, efficient and resilient seed system, with stronger coordination among research institutions, certification and inspection bodies, seed producers, professional organizations, private companies and financial partners.
Senegal launched a 10-year national seed self-sufficiency program in 2025, with implementation scheduled to continue through 2034. ■
