Senegal launches US$314.8M cold storage project to cut post-harvest losses

SENEGAL – Senegal has started building a major cold storage facility in Ngomène as the government steps up efforts to reduce heavy post harvest losses in the horticulture sector.

Serigne Guéye Diop, Minister of Industry and Trade, led the groundbreaking ceremony in the Thiès region. The facility will store onions and potatoes and start with a capacity of 250,000 tons. Project managers say they will expand it to 1 million tons in the long term to allow storage for up to 12 months.

Officials say the project targets post harvest losses that range between 30 percent and 40 percent of production in the Ngomène area. They want to cut these losses within two years.

Part of the Agricool program

The Ngomène site forms part of the Agricool program, a public private partnership signed last September between the Ministry of Trade and the company Agricool. The agreement stands at 170 billion CFA francs, which equals about US$314.8 million.

Under the program, developers plan to build 10 similar facilities in key production zones, including Niayes, Casamance, Matam, as well as central and eastern parts of the country. They also plan to install an additional 2,500 ton cold room in Kayar by 2027.

The project will rely on solar energy. Developers will install systems capable of producing more than 50 MW, and they plan to feed part of this electricity into the national grid.

Rising output raises pressure

Senegal’s horticulture output has risen sharply in recent years. In 2025, the country produced nearly 450,000 tons of onions, 245,000 tons of potatoes and 112,500 tons of bananas. These record volumes have increased pressure on storage systems that farmers say remain limited.

Officials estimate that post harvest losses cost the country nearly 50 billion CFA francs each year, which equals about US$89.9 million.

Diop said the government will also use trade measures to manage supply on the local market. “Senegal closed its borders for 12 months for potatoes and for 3 months for bananas. Next year, we will close the borders for 12 months for potatoes and 6 months for bananas,” he said, according to local media reports.

Authorities believe better storage will help stabilize prices, protect farmer incomes and reduce waste as production continues to grow.

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