SENEGAL – Senegal has invested US$2 million in purchasing 312 breeding bulls from Brazil as part of a measure to meet meat self-sufficiency amid rising demand for beef and meat products in the global market.
According to the country’s prime minister Amadou Ba, the new acquisition was carried out on the initiative of the Group of breeders for the genetic improvement of pastoral and extensive breeding in Senegal (GEPES).
“The acquisition of the bulls is part of a program aimed at improving cattle breeds in the sector and contributing to meat self-sufficiency in the country,”
To support this ambition, the executive has also invested US$1.1 million to subsidize up to 50% of the cost of purchasing this first batch of breeding bulls.
“This operation is the first of its kind in Senegal. The arrival of bulls from Brazil is the beginning of a positive transformation of Senegalese breeding. We plan to import 1,000 brood stock in five years,” Mr. Ba said.
Research indicated that In Senegal, livestock farming contributes less than 5% of the national GDP making the sub-sector unable to supply more than 90% of the meat consumption needs of the population.
“In the country, the cattle industry provides around 30% of local meat and offal production, which was estimated at 267,358 tonnes in 2019,” the National Statistics and Demography Agency (ANSD) reports.
According to t the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Senegalese beef consumption is predicted to reach 99,500 metric tons by 2026. In 2021, it was 95,000 metric tons, growing at a rate of 0.8% on average annually.
The FAO data shows that since 2017, the demand has risen 0.7% each year and Senegalese beef production is forecast to reach 84,690 metric tons by 2026, up from 78,990 metric tons in 2021.
This is an increase of 1.2% on average annually. Since 1966, the supply has jumped 2.2% annually.
Senegal was ranked 80th in 2021, but Cameroon overtook them with 78,990 metric tons. Brazil, China, and Argentina were ranked second, third, and fourth respectively
Recently Senegal launched a fish processing facility in the coastal town of Joal-Fadiouth to help players in the artisanal fishing industry reap more from their catch countering the demand in the population.
Senegal is a place where fishing is more than a way of life and it’s a major source of food, revenue, and pride- making the project all the more important.
Research indicates that fishing puts food on the table in more ways than one as it not only contributes 3.2 percent of the nation’s GDP but also accounts for about 10 percent of all exports and 17 percent of the country’s labor force.
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