Dried shelled legumes market in Senegal

Earlier Report Observations

The market for dried shelled legumes in Senegal showed significant volatility between 2018 and 2021. Volume started at 241.7 thousand tons in 2018, increased to 317.9 thousand tons in 2019, and then jumped sharply to 528.7 thousand tons in 2020. This was followed by a decline to 470.3 thousand tons in 2021.

Market volume contracted further to 334.2 thousand tons in 2022. During this period, industry analysis underscored strong urban consumption of legumes as a staple and pointed to training needs for secondary processing actors, highlighting sustained local demand and state-supported capacity building efforts in the agro-food sector.

A rebound occurred in 2023, with the market volume rising to 485.4 thousand tons. This recovery was supported by a 5% price increase for niébé (cowpea) and improved supply availability driven by new market offerings and enhanced cross-border trade flows from neighboring countries, including Guinea, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso.

Production dried shelled legumes in Senegal

In kind, 2017-2020, K t

Top producers of dried shelled legumes, 2017-2020

World map of production of dried shelled legumes, 2017-2020

Senegal's production of dried shelled legumes has grown for the third year in a row. In 2020, the country produced 508.0 K t, marking a significant 66.2% increase compared to the previous year. Looking at the period from 2017 to 2020, production surged by 141.6%, which translates to an average annual growth rate of 34.2%.

Annual dynamics of production in Senegal in kind, 2017-2020, K t

Exports dried shelled legumes from Senegal

Exports in kind, t

The market showed an unstable trend over this period. Export volumes reached their lowest point in 2018 at 388 t, then peaked in 2019 at 1 674 t, representing a 4.3-fold difference between these years. In 2020, Senegal exported 1 649 t of dried shelled legumes, a slight decrease of 1.5% from the previous year. The largest decline occurred in 2018, dropping by 63.5%, while the most substantial increase was in 2019, rising by 331.3%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Senegal in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Spain, the Netherlands, and Guinea-Bissau were the primary buyers of dried shelled legumes from Senegal, accounting for 39.1%, 32.6%, and 19.8% of exports in kind, respectively. Together, these three countries made up 91.5% of total exports in kind.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Senegal in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

The data reveals irregular changes, pointing to a volatile market environment. Exports in value terms bottomed in 2017 and peaked in 2019, with a 6.4-fold difference between these years. In 2020, Senegal exported 772 K $ US of dried shelled legumes, a sharp drop of 63.1% from the previous year. The maximum value was recorded in 2019 at 2 092 K $ US, with the largest increase that year at 278.4%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Senegal in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, the Netherlands and Spain dominated Senegal's exports of dried shelled legumes in value terms, together accounting for 81.6% of the total. The remaining share was distributed among other destinations, each with smaller individual contributions.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Senegal in value, 2017-2020

Imports dried shelled legumes to Senegal

Imports in kind, t

There were noticeable fluctuations in market performance during this period. Import volumes hit their lowest point in 2018 at 6 307 t, then peaked in 2020 at 22 344 t, showing a 3.5-fold fluctuation. In 2020, Senegal imported a total of 22 344 t of dried shelled legumes, a gain of 60.9% compared to 2019. The largest decline was in 2018, falling by 52.6%, while the largest increase occurred in 2019, rising by 120.2%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Senegal in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Argentina, Turkey, and Tunisia were the main suppliers of dried shelled legumes to Senegal, representing 34.0%, 23.6%, and 8.9% of imports in kind, respectively. Combined, these three countries comprised 66.4% of total imports in kind.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Senegal in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

Volatility characterized the market behavior during these years. Import volumes in value terms reached their low in 2018 at 1 901 K $ US and peaked in 2020 at 4 905 K $ US, with a top-to-bottom ratio of 2.6 times. In 2020, Senegal imported 4 905 K $ US of dried shelled legumes, a sudden rise of 38.2% versus the previous year. The largest decline was in 2018, dropping by 15.4%, while the largest increase was in 2019, rising by 86.6%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Senegal in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Throughout 2017 to 2020, Argentina, Turkey, and the United States played leading roles in Senegal's imports of dried shelled legumes in value terms, accounting for 28.8%, 18.7%, and 6.1%, respectively. Together, these three countries took 53.6% of total import flows.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Senegal in value, 2017-2020