Onion prices: Amar Yaya Sall, agro-pastoralist, sues the ARM before the Supreme Court

The price ceiling set at 9,000 CFA francs per 25 kg bag is being challenged for abuse of power. Agro-pastoralist Amar Yaya Sall, based in Darou Ndoye, is demanding the annulment of the Market Regulation Agency's (ARM) decision and estimates his potential losses at 2.4 billion CFA francs.

He launched a legal battle yesterday by filing an appeal with the Supreme Court of Senegal seeking to overturn the decision by Babacar Sembène, Director General of the Market Regulation Agency (ARM), setting the maximum price of onions at 9,000 CFA francs per 25 kg bag, or 360 CFA francs per kilogram. The decision, announced in a press release dated July 27, 2026, and immediately applicable, is being challenged for abuse of power. In his appeal, Amar Yaya Sall argues that the Director General of the ARM lacked the necessary authority to take such a measure.

“ A decision without legal basis”

According to the plaintiff, the ARM's press release refers to a strategic meeting, without specifying the body that held this meeting or the legal basis authorizing the Director General to set a new price ceiling. Amar Yaya Sall claims to have attempted to obtain a copy of the administrative decision itself. A formal notice was sent to the Director General of the ARM on August 5th, but has gone unanswered, according to the terms of the appeal.

The central argument is legal. The plaintiff cites Articles 4 and 5 of Law No. 2021-25 of April 12, 2021, concerning prices and consumer protection. He points out that the principle established by the law is that of the free determination of prices through competition and that their regulation, as an exceptional measure, falls under the purview of authorities expressly designated by law. According to Amar Yaya Sall, the Director General of the ARM could not, therefore, implement an immediate reduction in the maximum price of onions through a simple strategic meeting.

2.4 billion in alleged lost revenue

The appeal also highlights the economic consequences of the measure. The appellant points out that, during the 2025 marketing campaign, the recommended maximum price for wholesalers was between 400 and 500 CFA francs per kilogram. The new ceiling of 360 francs thus represents, based on the lower limit of 400 francs, a difference of 40 francs per kilogram. Applied to an announced stock of 60,000 tons, this difference would represent, according to the calculations presented in the appeal, a loss of 2.4 billion CFA francs.

The producer asks what economic studies justified this decrease, what indicators would have established a reduction in production costs and what consultations would have been carried out with producer organizations.

The legal certainty invoked

The applicant criticizes the ARM for imposing the new price with immediate effect, without a transition period or accompanying measures. He argues that producers and wholesalers had built up their stocks based on previous prices and the costs of acquisition, transport, storage, and handling. The immediate application of the new price cap would, in his view, force them to sell at a loss or absorb significant losses, a situation he considers incompatible with the principle of legal certainty.

In his conclusions, Amar Yaya Sall asks the Supreme Court to declare his appeal admissible and, on the merits, to annul the decision of the Director General of the ARM of July 27, 2026 setting the ceiling price of the 25 kg bag of onions at 9,000 CFA francs.