Digital Agriculture in Senegal: Connecting Farmers to Markets

Senegal is charting a new path in agricultural development, one that integrates digital tools to revolutionise how farmers grow, plan, and sell. At the heart of this transformation is the use of mobile and digital platforms that connect rural producers directly to critical information and markets, reducing uncertainty, improving yields, and enabling resilient livelihoods in the face of climate change.

A Turning Point in Senegalese Agriculture

In Nioro, a farming town in western Senegal, Mamadou Drame no longer relies on tradition or guesswork. Instead of reading the skies, he consults a mobile phone application that tells him when it will rain, how much, and what seeds to plant. With the unpredictability brought on by climate change, this shift has been game-changing. Mamadou now plans his rice, maize, millet, and vegetable production cycles with greater confidence and precision. He even connects with buyers and receives payments via mobile money — all from the same device.

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This personal story is emblematic of a larger national trend. Since 2016, Senegal has become a regional leader in integrating digital tools into agriculture through the Agricultural Services and Digital Inclusion in Africa (ASDIA) project launched by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). With support from the country’s National Agency for Agricultural and Rural Council (ANCAR), these tools are equipping thousands of farmers with real-time weather data, agricultural best practices, livestock care advice, and market prices.

ASDIA’s Reach and Impact

Seven years after its launch, ASDIA’s impact is both measurable and expansive:

• Over 300,000 Senegalese farmers are registered on the platform, receiving localised advisory services in their native languages.

• More than 1,000 extension agents and local leaders have been trained in the use of ASDIA’s five dedicated mobile apps.

• ASDIA is now a central pillar in Senegal’s broader digital agriculture strategy, helping scale innovation across diverse regions.

The “Weather and Crop Calendar” app, one of the program’s most impactful tools, allows farmers to align their planting schedules with rainfall forecasts, reducing the risk of crop failure and maximising yields. For Mamadou and thousands like him, this is more than technology — it’s security, agency, and new economic opportunity.

Digital Agriculture as Market Connector

In response to the economic disruptions of COVID-19, the FAO and ANCAR launched Senlouma.org in 2020, a digital marketplace platform aimed at keeping the agricultural supply chain alive. What started as a crisis response has become a lasting asset. Today:

• Senlouma supports over 4,000 farmers and 45 farmers’ organisations.

• It connects rural producers with input suppliers, wholesalers, financial institutions, and buyers nationwide.

• It has enabled market access even for producers in underdeveloped regions like Tambacounda and Kedougou.

The platform has recently attracted funding for scaling into other West African countries, including Benin, Togo, and Burkina Faso, under the support of the Francophone University Agency.

Senegal as a Leader in Africa’s Digital Agriculture Push

Senegal is one of nine African countries participating in FAO’s 1,000 Digital Villages Initiative (DVI), which promotes the digital transformation of rural communities. The initiative focuses on integrating digital technologies into both agricultural and non-agricultural rural systems, positioning smallholder farmers as central actors in achieving food security, economic growth, and poverty reduction.

This broader digital push is supported by major international development actors, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), which in 2022 invested $1 million to expand ASDIA’s reach into the Casamance region. The project also benefits from partnerships with telecommunications providers, rural development agencies, and local governments.

Regional Comparisons and Shared Lessons

Senegal’s leadership in digital agriculture is part of a broader West African transformation, supported by projects in Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Cameroon, each with tailored approaches:

• Côte d’Ivoire’s e-Agriculture Project (2018–2023) connected over 400,000 farmers to markets through its Agristore platform and extended mobile broadband to 221,000 rural residents.

• Benin’s Digital Rural Transformation Project (2020–2025) registered 103,000 farmers, including 31,000 women, using platforms for crop advice and mechanisation tracking.

• Cameroon’s PATNUC (2022–2027) enrolled over 9,000 farmers on an e-voucher system to subsidise inputs like seeds and fertilisers.

Combined, these efforts have reached more than 733,000 rural beneficiaries, with strong outcomes in digital literacy, financial inclusion, and market access.

Challenges and the Road Ahead

Despite progress, significant challenges remain. Many rural areas across West Africa still lack reliable internet connectivity and mobile broadband. In 2018, 73% of Côte d’Ivoire’s population had no access to mobile internet. Infrastructure gaps, low digital literacy, and gender disparities also limit the uptake and effectiveness of digital tools.

In Senegal, however, strong institutional ownership and a coordinated national strategy have helped mitigate some of these issues. The government’s collaboration with the FAO and international partners has fostered sustainability. For example, operators managing digital infrastructure are contractually obligated to provide services for at least 10 years post-project closure, extending into 2033.

A New Digital Horizon for Senegalese Farmers

As Senegal looks ahead, the focus is on deepening adoption and scaling innovation. Continued investments in localised content, farmer training, rural connectivity, and inter-country collaboration will be crucial. But the foundation is solid: digital agriculture is no longer a pilot — it’s a pillar.

Mamadou Drame’s words capture the transformation well:

“I feel confident when I plant and set my prices. I know that I can earn enough to feed my family, take my children to school and grow my business.”

Senegal is showing the continent — and the world — what’s possible when agriculture meets digital innovation. It’s not just about growing more food. It’s about growing opportunity, resilience, and dignity — one connected farmer at a time.