Homegrown Senegal Wheat: The Latest Step in a Years-long Effort To Reduce Reliance on Imports

The next stage in a years-long attempt to lessen reliance on imports, Senegalese researchers have started harvesting a crop of experimental homegrown wheat beneath a clear blue sky and the hum of a mower.

In the bread-loving nation of West Africa, wheat is the second most popular cereal behind rice.

Senegal, however, like many of its neighbors, is totally dependent on imports.

Each year, 800,000 metric tons of grain are imported.

Although wheat is not natively adapted to its tropical climate, domestic trials have been ongoing for years.

Senegal Harvests First Experimental Homegrown Wheat

(Photo : SEYLLOU/AFP via Getty Images)

The urgency of the nation's efforts to achieve self-sufficiency has increased due to supply chain issues, rising grain prices, and inflation brought on by the war in Ukraine, as per Phys.org.

On a demonstration plot near Sangalkam, 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the capital Dakar, Senegalese Institute for Agricultural Research (ISRA) experts have been harvesting four varieties of wheat since late last week.

The fourth variety was created by the institute, and three of them are Egyptian.

According to one of the researchers, Amadou Tidiane Sall, it runs five demonstration plots in total-two close to Dakar and three in the Senegal River Valley-and has evaluated hundreds of wheat varieties.

One of the institute's successful trials, the Sangalkam crop, was planted in early January and finished maturing in three months during Senegal's cold season.

Aly Ngouille Ndiaye, the agriculture minister, visited the plot earlier this month.

He claimed that on a trip to Egypt for the COP27 climate summit in November, he had asked for Egyptian seeds.

The minister indicated during his visit that there was "significant potential" and that the government will collaborate with business owners to increase the number of trial plots.

He admitted that there was a serious problem with not having enough water for irrigation. 

The president of the National Federation of Bakers of Senegal, Amadou Gaye, who represents over 2,500 bakeries throughout the nation, told AFP that he would rather see funds used to produce regional grains like millet, maize, and sorghum.

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Sustainable Food and Agriculture

Agriculture needs to provide for both present and future generations while maintaining profitability, environmental health, and social and economic equality in order to be sustainable, as per FAO.

All four pillars of food security-availability, access, usage, and stability-as well as the sustainability dimensions-are influenced by sustainable food and agriculture (SFA).

To assist nations worldwide in achieving Zero Hunger and Sustainable Development Goals, FAO promotes SFA.

Global food and agriculture production systems are confronted with previously unheard-of difficulties due to increased food demand to feed a growing population, rising hunger and malnutrition, negative climate change effects, overuse of natural resources, extinction of species, and food loss and waste.

These issues could make it more difficult for the globe to provide for its food demands in the present and the future.

In other words, fewer people have sufficient access to a sufficient supply of wholesome food.

Millions of people still go hungry or are undernourished as a result of the failure of present food and agricultural systems to address these pressing issues.

Without significant adjustments to our food and agricultural systems, it will be difficult to produce at a level that satisfies our demands from a foundation of natural resources that are already severely depleted.

The transition to sustainable food and agriculture, which guarantees global food security, creates economic, and social opportunities and safeguards the ecosystem services needed for agriculture, needs to be expanded and accelerated.

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