Africa-Press – Senegal. Le porte-parole du Conseil national de concertation et de coopération des ruraux (CNCR) du Sénégal, Sidy Bâ, s’est dit ‘’satisfait’’, du déroulement actuel de l’hivernage, invitant les producteurs agricoles à transformer les contraintes liées aux fortes pluies enregistrées dernièrement en opportunités.
In recent weeks, like other localities in the country, the Kaolack region has recorded very heavy rains, to the great joy of farmers and other producers in this central part of the country, even if some fields have been flooded.
« We have a very positive, even very good, assessment of the rainfall situation in the country, particularly in the Kaolack region. Where heavy rains cause problems, they must be transformed into opportunities. But, we believe that the wintering is going well, » he told APS.
It ensures that crop development is ‘correct’. However, there are fears that possible heavy rains could cause damage to crops in certain areas.
« We must take advantage of the lessons of the past and transform the constraints linked to excessive rain into opportunities, » urges Sidy Bâ, also secretary general of the Framework for Consultation of Peanut Producers (CCPA) of Senegal.
He warns that for producers whose fields are located in lowlands, the risk of flooding is also to be feared with possible consequences on crops.
« Faced with such a situation, we, producers, have no solution, but it is the public authorities who must support us, provide the necessary solutions, by making adjustments, so that there is less damage and that this water can be used later, » he recommended.
He believes that if the management of retention basins and artificial lakes (DBRLA) is provided with sufficient resources, it could help reduce these types of problems. « In the current state, » he declared, « I think that this direction does not have the means to achieve its ambitions, otherwise the recurring problems that we are experiencing could be reduced, » he underlined. .
He gave the example of Nioro du Rip, a department where « water erosion is strong » and where « a lot of damage is often noted », as well as that of Kaolack where « rainfall of 120 mm are recorded ». According to him, « if people could develop these areas, it would have caused less worry for the populations and the farmers ».
Sidy Bâ, dit rêver d’un ‘’grand ministère du développement rural’’ qui serait chargé de l’hydraulique, de l’élevage, la pêche, la gestion des inondations, entre autres secteurs transversaux.
‘’Aujourd’hui, nous avons des entités séparées et ce fractionnement ne sous arrange pas beaucoup. On aurait aimé qu’il y ait ce grand ministère qui, à chaque fois que de besoin, va prendre à bras-le-corps les problèmes auxquels nous faisons face’’, a-t-il insisté.
Maîtriser l’eau pour booster l’agriculture sénégalaise
Le porte-parole du CNCR réitère son appel pour une maîtrise de l’eau en vue de booster davantage l’agriculture sénégalaise et contribuer à l’atteinte de la souveraineté alimentaire.
« If we talk about agriculture, it’s because there is water without which plants cannot grow. So, if people start making a lot of policies and a lot of theories without knowing how to control this water, it will be difficult to get off the ground, » he warned.
He believes that Kaolack will only deserve its name as an agricultural basin through the control of rainwater and groundwater as well as surface water. « From there, we will be able to contribute to the country’s self-sufficiency in rice, millet, corn and peanuts. And we can even produce these speculations in the dry season, » he maintains.
Pour plus d’informations et d’analyses sur la Senegal, suivez Africa-Press
