About 13,000 metric tons of rice remain unsold in the Senegal River valley, Agriculture Minister Cheikhou Oumar Ba said on October 8, according to state news agency APS. The valley agency SAED had estimated white-rice stocks at 37,000 tons in July, when the government temporarily suspended rice import declarations for one month to encourage purchases of locally produced grain. At a July 8 meeting, the Commerce Ministry allocated the available stocks among importers at a fixed purchase price of 280 FCFA (€0.43) per kilogram, broadcaster RTS reported.
Analysis: If the figures refer to the same stocks, around two-thirds of the rice available in July has since been sold, leaving an estimated 3.6bn FCFA (€5.5mn) worth of grain in the valley at the agreed purchase price. The measures were aimed at clearing domestic stocks while restricting new import orders. The Commerce Ministry has yet to clarify whether the import declaration suspension was extended beyond its initial one-month period, leaving importers uncertain about purchasing arrangements for the final quarter of 2026.
Source: Agriculture Minister’s statement (via APS, 8 Oct 2026); Ministry of Industry and Commerce meeting on local rice, 8 Jul 2026 (via RTS)