$860million
worthofagriculturalproductsproducedinSenegaleachyear
RoadinfrastructuredevelopmentisvitalforimprovingtradeinruralAfricaISTOCKPhllipeAdamaisaseasonedfruitfarmerinSenegal.Hepracticesmixedfarmingofdifferentcropsinhisexpansive4-hectarefarm,andcurrentlyexportshisproducemostlytoEurope,withasmallpercentagegoingtoChina.
PoorroadnetworkshavehinderedfarmerssuchasAdamafromachievingtheirfullpotentialinthepast.However,thisisabouttochange.Partofanewroadnetworkof70kmwasrecentlycompleted,linkinghisruralhometownofPambaltothecountry鈥檚capitalDakar.
Withtheadventofnewtransportopportunitiesbroughtbytheroadnetwork,Adamaisincreasinghisproduction.
鈥淎lotofmyproducewouldspoilbecausewhenitrains,thepreviousdirtroadwouldbecomemuddy.MytransportvehicleswouldbestuckfordayswaitingtotransferproducetoDakar.Nowtheroadnetworkiscompleteandthingsaremucheasier,鈥漵aidAdama.
鈥淚cangetmorethandoubletherevenuefromhorticultureasIdidoneandahalfyearsago.Forexample,onagoodharvestday,Iproduceabout$2,300comparedto$800asaresultofperishedgoodsfromdelaysonthepreviousdirtroads,鈥漵aidAdama.
Oncetheroadnetworksarefullycompleted,agriculturalproductionisexpectedtoincreaseacrosstheentireregion.AccordingtotheFoodandAgricultureOrganization(FAO),aUnitedNationsagency,Senegalcurrentlyproduces$860millionworthofagriculturalproduceeachyear.
InthePambalareaoftheThiesregioninwestSenegal,AdamaisamongseveralfarmersgrowingvegetablesandfruitwhosellinDakarforoverseasexport.Watermelons,courgettes,tomatoes,pumpkinsandmangoesareallgrowninthearea.
Adama鈥檚neighborSekouSambouhasa202-hectarefarmandisalsoupbeataboutthenewroads.
鈥淭ransportinggoodsismucheasier[now].Butitwilltakeawhilebeforethetotalroadnetworkiscompleted,鈥漢esaid.
Sambousaidtheinitialimprovementshavedefinitelyhelpedhimgethisproducetomarketfaster.Ajourneyof3.5hoursnowtakesjustunderanhourandwastagefrompoorweatherdelayshavebeeneliminated,hesaid.
Vastroadnetwork
AccordingtoSenegalesePrimeMinisterMahammadBounAbdallahDionne,Chinaplanstoaddanextensive30,000-kmofroads,mostlyhighways,withinafour-tofive-yeartimeframeintheregion.
鈥淭hismightsoundoverambitiousbutIcanguaranteeyoumostofthehighwaysarecurrentlyunderconstruction.Forinstance,theDakar-CairoHighwayconstructionhasbeenlaunched.Itwillcover8,636kmlinkingDakartoagriculturaltownsandbeyondborders,鈥滵ionnesaid.
DionnesaidthishighwaywilllinkSenegaltoMauritania,Morocco,Tunisia,Chad,andeventuallyEgypt.Whilesecurityconcernsalongthisrouterequireurgentattention,Dionnesaidheiscollaboratingwithallthegovernmentsconcernedtofindasolution.
HenotedthatthehighwayslinkingDakartotheThiesregion,covering113kmwillbecompletedbytheendof2019,whileanother194kmroadlinkfromDakartoToubaisplannedtobefunctionalattheendofSeptemberthisyear.
DionneconfirmedthatChinawillinvestabout$8billionontheroadnetworkinitiativeoverafive-yearperiod,emphasizingthattheinfrastructurewouldbenefittradeintheregionasawholeandnotjustSenegal.
Over$239millionworthoftradeisgeneratedbySenegalannuallyand30percentofthetradeisbetweenregionalcountriesaccordingtotheWorldBank.Itisranked143rdworldwideintermsoftradevolumebytheBrettonWoodsinstitution.
Currently,Senegalhasmorethan14,785kmofroadsaccordingtotheWorldBankindicatorsofdevelopmentof2016.
AbdourahmaneSarr,oneofSenegal鈥檚leadingeconomistssaysthatSenegalhasabrightfuture.
鈥淪enegalhasoneofthefastestgrowingeconomiesintheworld,butwiththeongoingconstructionofmajorhighways,moregrowthwillbefelt,withgoodresultsby2021,鈥漢esaid.
Infrastructureboost
Senegal鈥檚infrastructureisseeingmuchexpansionin2018.Apartfromtheroadnetworkunderway,a1,282-kmrailwaylineextendingtoMaliandcosting$2.73billionwaslaunchedbySenegalesePresidentMackySallinFebruary.ThiswasafterMaliandSenegalsignedanagreementfortheprojecttobeundertakenbyChinaRailwayConstructionCorp.Ltd.
ChinaandSenegalrelationshavebeenimprovingovertheyears.SenegalisoneofChina鈥檚closestalliesaccordingtoProfessorDavidKikaya,formerKenyanAmbassadortotheUnitedNationsHumanSettlementsProgram.
鈥淩elationsbetweenthetwocountrieshavebeenimprovingsincethe1990s.ThepositionofSenegalasaneconomicpowerhouseinWestAfricaisanadvantagetomanydevelopmentpartners,鈥漢esaid.
AccordingtotheUnitedNationsConferenceonTradeandDevelopment,Senegalexportsabout106,200tonsoffruitsandvegetablesannually.
ButaccordingtoitscurrentDirectorGeneralMukyisaKituyi,exportswilltripleoncethecurrentwaveofinfrastructureisinplace.
鈥淥bviouslygrowthwillnotbefeltovernight.Giveitaboutthreetofouryears.[Inadditiontothecomprehensiveroadnetworkplanned]theDakarPortisinperfectshape,theairportinToubaisingoodshapeandthegovernmentisinearlytalkswithChinatobuildnewairports,鈥漵aidKituyiwhoonceservedasKenya鈥檚TradeMinister.
InJuly,ChinesePresidentXiJinpingpaidastatevisittoSenegal,thefirststopofhistourtotheAfricancontinent.SenegalisthefirstWestAfricancountrytopartnerwithChinaaspartofitsBeltandRoadInitiative.
Senegalhasoneofthefastestgrowingeconomiesintheworld,butwiththeongoingconstructionofmajorhighways,moregrowthwillbefelt,withgoodresultsby2021.
AbdourahmaneSarrSenegaleseeconomist
8,636km
lengthoftheDakarCairoHighwaythatisunderconstruction
30,000km
lengthoftheroadsChinaplanstoaddwithinafourto-five-yeartimeframeinSenegal
$8bln
TheamountofChina鈥檚investmentintheroadnetworkinitiativeoverafive-yearperiod
ReportingfromSenegalCommentsto