Senegal pauses rice imports for 1 month amid growing surplus

• Govt sets fixed price to support local prices
• Senegal’s rice reserves double to 6 months 

Senegal — a major importer of rice from India, having secured around 2.3 mnt in January-September 2025 — has paused imports for one month to protect the interests of the local market amid a surplus of stocks. Senegal is highly dependent on imports, primarily from Asia, to meet domestic demand, despite significant growth in domestic production. The market is a major importer, with Thailand, India, and Pakistan being top suppliers.

Senegal’s rice production is limited due to a reliance on rain-fed agriculture, which makes the country vulnerable to climate variability, while imported rice is often preferred due to taste and consistency, though its prices have been rising.

However, Senegal’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce has decided to suspend rice imports for one month starting 12 November. The move was announced after a meeting with farmers, traders, processors, and government agencies. The goal is to give local producers a chance to sell their harvest by reducing competition from imported rice.

Farmers in the Senegal River Valley recently warned that nearly 195,000 tonne (t) of rice from the 2025 harvest might go unsold. They said that imported rice is cheaper and already flooding the market. Senegal, which normally keeps a three‑month rice reserve, now has a six‑month stock because of imports. To support local farmers, the government has set a fixed price of 350 CFA francs per kilogram for locally produced rice, whether broken or whole. This is meant to make local rice more competitive and easier to sell.

However, Senegal still relies heavily on imports to meet demand. The US Department of Agriculture estimates that the country will import 1.65 mnt of rice in the Kharif marketing season of 2025-2026. That represents about 70% of Senegal’s total annual need of 2.2 mnt.