Olam Agri doubles wheat milling capacity in Senegal to support food security – Milling Middle East & Africa Magazine

SENEGAL – Olam Agri has doubled the capacity of its wheat milling facility in Diamniadio, Senegal, lifting its annual processing capacity to more than 360,000 metric tonnes as it responds to rising demand for wheat based foods and supports the country’s food manufacturing sector.

The company officially opened the expanded facility on July 9 during a ceremony attended by Senegal’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Dr Serigne Guèye Diop, Diamniadio Mayor Mamadou Moulaye Guèye, DCI Minister of Commerce Ahmadou Bamba Ndao, representatives from APIX, government agencies, financial institutions, project partners and customers from across the country’s agrifood sector.

During the event, Dr Diop said the investment would help meet growing local demand while supporting Senegal’s Vision Sénégal 2050 development plan. “The investment is an important contribution to building a more resilient and competitive agrifood sector,” he said, adding that it will create jobs, generate economic value, support technology transfer and make Senegal more attractive for future investment. He also called for more private sector investment in industries that support the country’s long term economic growth.

Olam Agri entered Senegal’s wheat milling sector in 2012 after starting operations in the country in 2009. The company said the latest expansion reflects its continued investment in local food manufacturing.

“This expansion reflects Olam Agri’s long term confidence in Senegal and our commitment to supporting the country’s food security, industrialisation and economic development ambitions,” said Sapan Kumar, Country Head, Senegal, Olam Agri. “By doubling our milling capacity, we are strengthening local food manufacturing, improving supply resilience and creating greater value within Senegal. The investment will enable us to better support bakeries, pasta and biscuit manufacturers, food processors and SMEs, while reinforcing Senegal’s position as a strategic production and distribution hub for Francophone West Africa.”

Beyond milling, Olam Agri continues to support community and environmental programmes in Senegal through initiatives such as MAMIE, which supports women entrepreneurs, Project ECLORE for youth skills development, and Waste to Wisdom, which promotes recycling and responsible waste management.

The company also continues work on renewable energy, water management and waste reduction across its operations, with a target of achieving Zero Landfill by 2028. Its business in Senegal currently supports about 800 direct and indirect jobs.

The announcement follows another recent move by Olam Agri in West Africa. Earlier this week, the company signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with IDH to expand sustainable sourcing, improve market access for producers and support climate smart farming across Ghana, Nigeria and potentially other countries.

The agreement also includes a new programme in Ghana under IDH’s Women in Sourcing and Enterprise initiative to support women working across agricultural value chains.

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