On 23-28 September 2013, the Royal Thai Embassy in Dakar, as part of its project aiming at enhancing business contacts between the Thai and Senegalese private sectors and exploring a possibility of Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) in Rice Cultivation and Mechanization between Thailand and Senegal, organized a Thai – Senegalese Business Matching Meeting and a field visit to the Senegal River Valley. 

 

The Embassy’s Project consisted of 2 main activities. First was the Thai – Senegalese Business Matching Meeting on 24 September 2013 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dakar. The Business Matching Meeting focused on 2 key sectors with high market potential in Senegal, including the agricultural equipment and machinery sector and the food products sector. Two leading Thai companies who participated in this Meeting, namely the “Siam Kubota Corporation Co.,Ltd.” and the “C.P.Intertrade Co.,Ltd.” were matched with 15 leading Senegalese companies from these 2 sectors. 

 

The second activity was to explore the possibility of PPP in rice cultivation and mechanization between Thailand and Senegal. On 23 September 2013, Mrs. Busaya Mathelin, Ambassador of Thailand to Senegal and the representatives of Siam Kubota paid a courtesy call on Dr. Papa Abdoulaye SECK, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Equipment of Senegal. Both sides discussed the possibilities of cooperation to transfer agricultural and mechanization knowledge of Siam Kubota to Senegalese rice producers. In addition, on 25-28 September 2013, the Ambassador led the Siam Kubuta’s delegates to a field visit in St. Louis, Ross Béthio and Richard Toll in the Senegal River Valley, North of Senegal. During the field visit which was facilitated by Dr. Samba KANTE, Technical Advisor of the Minister of Agriculture of Senegal and Coordinator of Senegal’s National Program for Self-sufficiency in Rice, the Thai side met and discussed with key public and private stakeholders in the Senegalese rice sector. 

 

Both activities were well received by the Senegalese side. Senegalese companies have already expressed their interest in business partnerships with the two Thai companies who participated in the Business Matching Meeting. Furthermore, both the Senegalese government and private stakeholders also welcomed more active engagement by the Thai public and private sectors to help develop the Senegalese rice sector. The Government of Senegal aims to reach self-sufficiency in rice production by 2017 and mechanization is highly emphasized in its policy while Thailand has the knowledge and technology in this field that can be well adapted to Senegal and help Senegal attain its goal.