Senegal’s wheat imports reached 982,106 tonnes in 2025, marking an 8.5% increase from the previous year and the fifth consecutive annual rise as urban consumption climbs. According to national statistics agencies, the growth is driven by expanding per capita demand and a growing domestic flour-milling sector.
Senegal’s reliance on imported wheat continues to deepen. Data from the National Agency of Statistics and Demography shows that wheat imports climbed to 982,106 tonnes in 2025, up from 904,947 tonnes in 2024. This upward trajectory marks the fifth straight year of growth since imports stood at 753,807 tonnes in 2021.
Behind the rising import volumes lies a steady shift in dietary habits, particularly in urban centers where wheat serves as the country’s second-most consumed grain behind rice. Research from the Senegalese Agricultural Research Institute indicates that annual per capita wheat consumption rose by nearly 56% over an 18-year period, moving from 27 kilograms in 2002 to 42 kilograms in 2020.
Import Prices and Domestic Milling Capacity Expansion
Market conditions have also played a role in shaping import trends. National statistics reveal that the average price of imported wheat dropped from CFA276 per kilogram in 2022 to CFA178 per kilogram, easing cost pressures for domestic processors. That decline brought average import costs down from roughly US$0.42 to US$0.27 per kilogram.
Most of the incoming grain feeds a robust domestic flour-milling industry that supplies local bakeries and food manufacturers. Major players operating in the sector include Grands Moulins de Dakar, Grands Moulins du Sahel, MS, FKS, NMA and Olam.
Processing infrastructure expanded further when a newly completed wheat flour mill began operating with a daily processing capacity of 500 tonnes. Moroccan industrial engineering firm REMORA announced the completion of that facility, though the identity of the project promoter was not made public.
Regional Trade Dynamics
The growth in milling infrastructure reinforces Senegal’s position as a supplier of flour to regional West African markets. Between 2020 and 2023, the country exported an average of 13,861 tonnes of soft wheat flour annually, with exports peaking at 29,249 tonnes in 2021 and generating about US$11.74 million in earnings that year.
Official trade statistics, however, likely understate the volume of cross-border commerce. An OECD Sahel and West Africa Club report estimated that 84% of intra-regional cereal trade went unrecorded.
Broader Food Trade Policy Measures
While wheat imports expand, the broader agricultural sector operates under strict state oversight aimed at protecting domestic producers. In July, the government suspended new Food Import Declarations for rice for one month while local mills held an inventory of approximately 37,000 tonnes of white rice.
Under current regulations, traders must purchase established quotas of local rice before receiving authorization for new imports. State policy sets the purchase price for local rice at 280 CFA francs per kilogram (about US$0.43), alongside public financial support of 50 CFA francs per kilogram (about US$0.08) directed to mills.
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