Market Prospects for Groundnut in West Africa COMMON FUND ...

the world market, Senegal and Argentina are the two main exporters of
groundnut oil, mainly to Europe, the US and China. Of the four project
countries, Senegal has led in groundnut exports, particularly to Europe –
though with the adoption of the current EU aflatoxin regulations, these
exports have been drastically reduced.
The French applied research organization CIRAD has invested in
development of the edible or confectionary groundnut sub-sector (ARB)
based on improved varieties and irrigated cultivation. CIRAD and the Institut
de Technologie Alimentaire (ITA) are undertaking to establish a quality
control and quality certification system, and thus revive the Senegalese ‘brand’
through an internationally-recognized quality label (Dimanche and Kane
2002). However, the limiting technical factor in developing an export market
for edible groundnut remains the need for uptake by producers of improved
production and postharvest techniques in order to address the threat of
Aspergillus for product quality control.
During the 2003 groundnut harvest, huge heaps of whole groundnut
plants drying in the sun were observed lying in the middle of open fields across
the ‘Groundnut Basin’ as they have been during harvest for many decades,
open to the elements and susceptible to infection by Aspergillus with any
unseasonable rainfall – as indeed was the case in 2003.
Groundnut production during the 2003 harvest has been relatively poor
(4,800,000 MT was originally expected, and less than 4,650,000 MT was
realized) resulting in an enthusiastic commercial response by Indian producers
to seize an opportunity to rejoin the international market in groundnut oil with
anticipated export of 50,000 MT this year, after a 40-year interregnum (Times
of India 2004).
Groundnut sector survey
A total of 228 households were studied, of which 216 produced groundnut.
Production patterns within this sample were strongly biased toward oilseed or
arachide huilerie (97% of the producers). Only 21% of the producers studied
produced the more profitable edible variety (ARB), and only 4% produced
seed, of which none was the N1 seed required by a commercial seed
multiplication program.
Over 78% of respondents felt that they did not have sufficient access to
groundnut seed. 89% of respondents relied on their own (‘ordinary’) seed, only
72% purchased any seed at all, and only 25% were using improved (N2) seed.
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