Senegal/ICS agricultural support program launched in Kaolack

The pilot phase of the Industries Chimiques du Sénégal (ICS) support program for Senegalese agriculture (PICSA) was officially launched on Tuesday in Kaolack, with the aim of further boosting agricultural activities.

Support for producers across five major agro-ecological zones of the country, namely the Niayes, the groundnut basin, eastern Senegal, southern Casamance and the Senegal River Valley, are the main thrusts of this program, the launch of which coincides with the start of the 2025-2026 agricultural season.

The five agro-ecological zones in question correspond to eight regions, namely Thiès, Diourbel, Kaolack, Tambacounda, Saint-Louis, Kolda, Sédhiou and Ziguinchor.

We designed this program under the inspiration" of the Minister of Agriculture and the Secretary of State for Cooperatives, with whom "we discussed the impact that ICS should have in the region".impact that ICS must have in the broader field of fertilizer production, which must also involve support for farmers", explained ICS General Manager Mama Sougoufara.

According to Mr. Sougoufara, some sixty producers of agricultural inputs will benefit from ICS support as part of this initiative, through the provision of fertilizers, seeds and phytosanitary products, with the assistance of agronomists.

He believes that this work will only be possible with the support and involvement of state structures, as well as the major public companies whose mission is to oversee agriculture, such as the French Agricultural Research Institute.These include the Institut sénégalais de recherches agricoles (ISRA) and the Société nationale de développement agricole et industriel (SODAGRI).

He also cited the Société nationale d'aménagement et d'exploitation des terres du delta du fleuve Sénégal et des vallées du Fleuve Sénégal et de la Falémé (SAED), and the Société de développement et des fibres textiles du Sénégal (SODEFITEX).

He said he was delighted to renew ICS's commitment to ISRA, as part of a partnership that is set to expand beyond research programs on new fertilizer formulas.Industries Chimiques du Sénégal is "doing extremely important work to boost the productivity of Senegalese agriculture through applied research programs".

ICS, together with ISRA, intends to continue this partnership through its agricultural support program, continued Mr. Sougoufara.

"We want agricultural producers to receive more support than just the availability of fertilizer, an area in which we are making major efforts", emphasized Mama Sougoufara.

The ICS has adopted a global approach to support them in achieving their objectives, by providing them with fertilizers, phytosanitary products, protective equipment, farm impleThey will also be accompanied by agronomists who will support them in their fertilizer application practices throughout the different phases of this agricultural campaign, he assured.

Source: aps.sn/