Peanut sector: Overwhelmed by 300 tonnes of unsold peanuts, an operator in Birkelane raises the alarm

As the next agricultural season approaches, the scars of the previous one remain particularly vivid for those involved in the sector. In Birkelane (Kaffrine region), the businessman Mouhamed Ka is experiencing this firsthand: he still has more than 300 tons of peanuts from the last season, which he is desperately struggling to sell under satisfactory financial conditions.

“The past campaign was particularly trying, both for farmers and for economic operators. So far, several players have large stocks that they are unable to sell at a profitable price,” he testifies.

For Mouhamed Ka, this slump goes beyond his personal situation and illustrates a systemic dysfunction: "For my business alone, I find myself with an unsold stock of more than 300 tons. This immobilization weighs heavily on our cash flow and weakens all the operators in the sector."

Financing and export markets: the two key obstacles to commercialization

The economic operator points to two major factors that hampered last year's momentum: financing delays and access constraints imposed on foreign buyers.

“One of the main obstacles that delayed the campaign was related to difficulties in accessing credit. Added to this were restrictions on market access for international operators. These two elements profoundly disrupted marketing,” he recalls.

To avoid repeating the same mistakes, Mouhamed Ka advocates rigorous planning. He makes a direct appeal to the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Livestock to quickly convene a major sectoral consultation.

“We invite the minister to convene a national meeting bringing together all components of the value chain: producers, economic operators, processors, oil producers and exporters,” he proposes, with a clear objective: “To discuss in advance the modalities of the next campaign in order to learn lessons and to address the obstacles.”

While acknowledging the positive initiatives of the State—notably the Minister's recent agricultural tour of the peanut basin and the Kaffrine consultation forum—the Birkelane operator insists that the urgent priority remains anticipation. Starting a new harvest campaign while storage facilities are still full from previous harvests risks immediately jeopardizing the financial health of local stakeholders.