Onion Seeds Supplier Senegal — Niayes, Dakar Port, DPV Phytosanitary

A Kehkashan trade-desk reference for Senegalese agricultural-input distributors, Niayes commercial vegetable producers and Dakar-based agri-trading houses. This guide is written for importers placing real orders of onion seed for the 2026 contre-saison froide (cold off-season) and contre-saison chaude (hot off-season) campaigns — not for casual readers. We cover what Senegalese producers actually buy, what the Direction de la Protection des Végétaux and the Agence Nationale des Affaires Maritimes actually ask for at Dakar Port and AIBD Diass, realistic FOB and CIF price bands by origin, the import-suspension calendar that defines the commercial window, and the document set that clears customs without a rejected lot. The French-language summary at the foot of the page (Résumé en français) condenses the same information for Dakar-based and Saint-Louis-based procurement teams who prefer to read the offer in French.

The Senegalese onion market in one paragraph

Senegal is one of West Africa's largest onion producers. The Niayes — a coastal strip 5 to 10 km wide running from Dakar through Thiès to Saint-Louis — and the Senegal River Valley (Saint-Louis, Podor, Matam, Bakel) together concentrate roughly 80 percent of national production per the Inter-réseaux analysis of Senegalese horticulture and the Wageningen / RVO scoping mission to Senegal in 2022 per the Netherlands Food Partnership scoping report. National production has roughly doubled in the last decade and reached approximately 412,000 tonnes in 2024 per Agence Ecofin's reporting on the 2025 record campaign, with the government anticipating a 450,000 tonne harvest in 2025 against estimated national demand of approximately 380,000 tonnes per the cumulative analysis in Sénégal Agriculture and Senegalese Ministry of Agriculture (MASAE) communications. Senegalese consumers strongly prefer red-skinned, pungent varieties — Violet de Galmi is the cultural and culinary reference per FreshPlaza's market overview.

Why Senegal imports hybrid and OP onion seed despite expanding production

Senegal is structurally a producer-importer for onion seed. Three factors drive this.

First, the seasonal production–consumption gap. Senegalese onion production peaks during the contre-saison froide harvest window (February through August), when the domestic crop floods Dakar and regional markets. During the off-season the supply gap was historically covered by imported fresh onion — predominantly from the Netherlands, which still accounted for roughly 89.8 percent of fresh-onion import volume into Senegal in 2024, according to Trade Map data referenced by Ecofin per the Ecofin Agency 2025 onion-imports decision report. The Senegalese government suspended fresh-onion imports from 25 January 2025 to coincide with the local harvest, reopened imports from 19 September to 31 December 2025 once domestic stocks depleted, and is expected to re-tighten the calendar in 2026 per AgriWatch Ghana's reporting on the 2025 suspension. This seasonal cycle creates predictable demand peaks for seed input two to four months ahead of each planting window.

Second, the seed-quality and breeding gap. Although ISRA (Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles) is Senegal's lead agricultural research body and works with CIRAD and CDH (Centre pour le Développement de l'Horticulture) on horticulture, the bulk of commercial onion seed used in Senegal is still imported. Tropicasem — the Senegal-based subsidiary of the French breeder Technisem — has bred and commercialised an improved Violet de Galmi line under exclusive marketing rights for nine West African countries since the 1990s per the Inter-réseaux briefing on Violet de Galmi and the Tropicasem licence and the Access to Seeds review of Tropicasem per Access to Seeds' Tropicasem scorecard. Producers in the Niayes and Senegal River Valley source from this channel and from imported tier-1 lots of Indian, Pakistani, US and Dutch-origin OP and F1 hybrid seed.

Third, the agronomic photoperiod constraint. Senegal sits at roughly 12 to 16 degrees north latitude — short-day onion territory. Long-day European varieties bulb poorly. Producers need varieties tuned to the 11 to 12.5 hour day-length window, which limits the practical origin set to West African breeders (Galmi-derived lines), Indian short-day cultivars (Pusa Red, Nasik N-53, Bombay Red), Pakistani Punjab Selection, US short-day yellow grano lines and Dutch hybrid tropical lines (Bejo Zaden short-day catalogue). Long-day Spanish, French or Polish varieties do not perform.

Distributor economics are reasonable at current price bands. A 25-kilogram pouch of Indian Bombay Red or Tropicasem Violet de Galmi landing CIF Dakar at roughly USD 30 to 48 per kilogram retails through the agricultural-input distribution channel — including local stockists in Mboro, Kayar, Potou, Saint-Louis and Podor — with adequate margin once customs duty (the ECOWAS common external tariff CET tier applies at 5 to 20 percent on agricultural inputs) and 18 percent VAT are layered in per the trade.gov Senegal customs reference.

The variety map: what Senegalese producers buy

Senegalese distributors that stock the eight varieties in the table below cover most of the buyer landscape — from Niayes smallholders to Senegal River Valley contre-saison commercial producers and the export-oriented operators around Saint-Louis. Violet de Galmi is the cultural reference; Bombay Red and Pusa Red are the imported OP volume leaders; F1 hybrids target the commercial-farm tier.

Days-to-maturity figures below are from transplanting under Senegalese practice (50 to 60 days nursery, transplanted into the field). Yield figures are documented field-trial ranges from published sources, not promotional brochures.

Variety	Bulb colour	Days to maturity	Yield potential (t/ha)	Storability	Best region	Top origin
Violet de Galmi (OP)	Violet-red, flat	105–120	25–40	Good (3–4 months)	Niayes, River Valley	Niger / Senegal (Tropicasem)
Galmi rouge / Galmi sélectionné (OP)	Red-violet	100–115	28–40	Good	Niayes, Podor	Niger / Senegal / Burkina
Bombay Red (OP)	Dark red	105–130	20–30	Good (3–4 months)	Niayes, River Valley	India / Pakistan
Pusa Red / Nasik N-53 (OP)	Red	110–130	25–35	Good	Senegal River Valley	India
Punjab Selection (OP)	Red-pink	120–135	25–32	Medium-good	Niayes, Saint-Louis	Pakistan
Texas Early Grano / Yellow Granex (OP)	Yellow-straw	110–130	30–45	Poor (1–2 months)	River Valley	USA / Egypt
Red Creole (OP)	Deep red	110–130	20–28	Excellent (6+ months)	Podor, Matam	USA / India
Hybrid F1 (tropical short-day)	Red	95–115	35–55+	Medium	Niayes, commercial farms	Netherlands (Bejo, Enza) / India

Violet de Galmi is the iconic West African red shallot-type onion: flattened bulbs of medium size, violet-red skin, very pungent and well adapted to tropical short-day conditions per GSN Semences' Violet de Galmi technical description. It originated in the village of Galmi in Niger and has been grown there for over a century per FAO's family-farming brief on the Agadez–Galmi onion economy. Tropicasem's selected version dominates the formal-channel sales in Senegal. Bombay Red is the imported Indian OP volume leader, well-suited to short-day Senegalese photoperiods. Pusa Red and Nasik N-53 are Indian Maharashtra/Gujarat lines with similar agronomy. Punjab Selection is the Pakistani Punjab-origin red line that competes on price and adapts well to the Senegal River Valley irrigated zones. Dutch F1 hybrids from the tropical-line catalogues of Bejo Zaden and Enza Zaden target the commercial-farm tier with higher vigour and uniformity.

Origin reputation comparison for the Senegalese market

The Senegalese onion-seed import market is supplied by five primary origin clusters. Each has a defensible position and a known weakness.

Senegal (Tropicasem) and France (Technisem) — Violet de Galmi formal channel. The cultural-fit incumbent. Tropicasem operates from Dakar and supplies the formal agro-dealer network with selected Violet de Galmi seed at a premium over generic imports. FOB-equivalent pricing runs roughly USD 35 to 55 per kilogram for the selected line. The strength is variety authenticity and short logistics; the weakness is limited volume in peak demand windows.

India — Nasik (Maharashtra) and Gujarat. The price-and-volume leader for OP Bombay Red and Pusa Red lines. FOB Mundra runs roughly USD 25 to 38 per kilogram for tier-1 commercial-grade lots. The Indian advantage is volume, price and short ocean transit via Suez and the Bab-el-Mandeb to Dakar. The weakness is variable lot-to-lot germination and the documentation discipline required — third-party ISTA germination, dodder declaration and a DPV-acceptable phyto are gating items.

Pakistan — Punjab and Sindh. A growing tier-2 supplier and Kehkashan's own production geography. Pakistani Punjab Selection competes with Indian on price (FOB Karachi USD 22 to 36 per kilogram) and has the marginal Halal-letter advantage for Senegalese Muslim-procurement channels. Federal Seed Certification & Registration Department certification on genetic purity is the documentation strength.

Netherlands — Bejo Zaden and Enza Zaden tropical catalogue. The premium F1 hybrid tier. FOB Rotterdam runs USD 55 to 95 per kilogram for short-day hybrid lines selected for tropical performance. Used by Niayes commercial producers targeting Dakar wholesale and seasonal Mauritania/Mali cross-border re-export. Fresh-onion imports from the Netherlands dominate the off-season fresh trade per FreshPlaza's Dutch-Senegal trade analysis.

USA — Texas A&M lineage. Long historical relationship with Sahel-region trials via Texas Early Grano and Texas 1015. Mid-to-premium pricing (USD 50 to 85 per kilogram FOB Houston) and typically used by Senegal River Valley operators with USDA-channel relationships.

For a typical Senegalese distributor, the practical answer is consolidated multi-origin sourcing routed through UAE Free Zone — Indian or Pakistani Bombay Red for the price-sensitive smallholder Niayes channel, Tropicasem Violet de Galmi for the cultural-fit retail tier (locally sourced), Dutch F1 for the commercial-farm tier. That is the consolidation Kehkashan runs out of Jebel Ali.

Specification a Senegalese importer should demand on every lot

Six specifications belong on every onion-seed purchase order destined for Senegal. Do not contract without them.

1. Germination minimum 85 percent. ISTA-standard germination test, third-party laboratory, dated within 90 days of dispatch. Anything below 85 percent will be marked down by Senegalese commercial producers and may fail DPV sampling at Dakar Port or AIBD.
2. Physical purity minimum 99 percent. Inert matter and other-crop seed at or below 1 percent. Cuscuta spp. (dodder) must read zero — dodder is on the DPV watch list and contaminated lots are routinely rejected. Striga spp. (witchweed) presence is a separate watch-list item.
3. Moisture maximum 8 percent. Critical for lots transiting via Suez and the Red Sea in summer where humidity and temperature in the hold can climb above 35°C.
4. Genetic purity minimum 98 percent for OP varieties, 99 percent for F1 hybrids. Important when selling against named Galmi or Bombay Red claims to Senegalese commercial producers.
5. Treatment disclosure. Thiram, Captan or biofungicide treatments must be declared on the COA and on the pouch label.
6. Packaging integrity. Aluminium-foil pouches with nitrogen flush for premium F1 hybrids; vacuum-sealed plastic pouches in 25-kilogram outer cartons for OP volume lots. Pouch labels in English and French with variety name, lot number, germination percentage, purity percentage, packing date, expiry date and country of origin.

The full document set that should accompany every onion-seed consignment into Senegal: phytosanitary certificate from the origin country NPPO, ISTA orange international seed-lot certificate, certificate of analysis covering germination, purity, moisture and dodder-freedom from a third-party lab, fumigation certificate (typically methyl bromide or phosphine), commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or airway bill, certificate of origin, Halal letter, and French translation of the variety-and-treatment label.

DPV and phytosanitary compliance walkthrough

Senegalese seed imports run through three regulatory checkpoints — the Direction de la Protection des Végétaux (DPV) within the Ministère de l'Agriculture, de la Souveraineté Alimentaire et de l'Élevage (MASAE), the ASN (Agence Sénégalaise de Normalisation) where applicable, and Sénégal Douanes (customs) operating through the digital single-window system.

Direction de la Protection des Végétaux. The DPV is recognised by the IPPC as Senegal's National Plant Protection Organisation per the IPPC Senegal country profile and is the central technical unit for phytosanitary surveillance, control and pest management per Sénégal Services' DPV profile. Decree 60-121 of 10 March 1960 (still the governing instrument, with subsequent amendments) regulates the trade of all planting seeds, live plants and plant materials per the USDA FAS Decree 60-121 reference and the Senegalese Ministry of Health hosted copy per the official decree PDF.

Import permit via dpvpermis.sn. Since 13 June 2022 — when then-Minister Moussa Baldé launched the platform — all requests for the importation of plants and plant products including seed for sowing must be submitted via the dpvpermis.sn digital portal per the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation's coverage of the 2022 launch. Operators wishing to access the platform must first obtain accreditation. The same minister announced that Senegal had become the first West African country to operate a fully digitised system for phytosanitary certification per the MASAE digitalisation announcement. The portal cuts processing time by up to 50 percent — from typically three days to roughly one to two business days for routine seed applications.

Phytosanitary certificate from origin. Mandatory for every consignment. Issued by the exporting country's NPPO — for Pakistani lots that is the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) under the Ministry of National Food Security and Research; for Indian lots, the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (DPPQS); for Dutch lots, the NVWA. Senegal is part of the ePhyto network, so origin NPPOs that have joined the IPPC ePhyto Hub can issue an electronic phyto that the Senegal DPV can verify directly per the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation's coverage of Senegal ePhyto.

ISTA orange international seed-lot certificate. Required to demonstrate the lot has been ISTA-protocol germination and purity tested on a representative sample.

Customs and CET tariff. The ECOWAS Common External Tariff (TEC CEDEAO) applies on agricultural inputs. Onion seed for sowing typically classifies under HS 1209 91 and falls into a low-tariff band, but VAT at 18 percent applies on the landed CIF value per the trade.gov Senegal customs guide.

For Senegalese importers running multiple shipments per year, the dpvpermis.sn workflow pays for itself within two clean clearances. Apply 14 to 30 days ahead of dispatch.

Pricing benchmarks Q1–Q2 2026

Onion-seed pricing into Senegal varies by variety, origin, lot size and freight route. The bands below reflect Kehkashan trade-desk observations for tier-1 commercial-grade lots in Q1–Q2 2026. Spot-market pricing can sit 10 to 15 percent below or above these bands depending on origin harvest cycle and FX swings against the CFA franc (XOF, pegged to the EUR).

Variety / origin	FOB origin port USD/kg	CIF Dakar USD/kg (sea)	CIF AIBD Diass USD/kg (air)	Typical MOQ
Violet de Galmi (Tropicasem/Senegal local)	n/a (local)	35–55 (ex-Dakar)	n/a	25–50 kg
Bombay Red (India, Mundra)	25–35	32–46	42–58	250 kg / 500 kg
Pusa Red / Nasik N-53 (India)	28–38	34–48	44–60	250 kg
Punjab Selection (Pakistan, Karachi)	22–32	28–40	38–52	250 kg
Texas Early Grano / Yellow Granex (USA)	32–48	40–58	52–72	100 kg
Red Creole (USA / India)	35–50	42–60	54–76	100 kg
Hybrid F1 tropical (Netherlands, Bejo/Enza)	55–95	68–110	85–135	25–100 kg

A 20-foot ocean container (FCL) carries approximately 18,000 to 20,000 kg of pouched onion seed in 25-kg outer cartons. Ocean freight Karachi or Jebel Ali to Dakar runs USD 2,200 to 3,800 per 20'FCL in 2026, plus inland trucking Dakar to up-country distribution centres (Saint-Louis, Podor, Matam) at approximately USD 800 to 1,500. Air freight Dubai to AIBD Diass runs USD 5.50 to 8.50 per kilogram chargeable weight on 100 to 500 kg shipments — economic only for high-value F1 hybrids or top-up lots where the contre-saison planting window is tight.

MOQ for Indian and Pakistani OP volume lines is typically 250 to 500 kg under a single PO; Tropicasem Violet de Galmi and Dutch F1 hybrids can be sourced from 25-kg ladders.

Logistics — Karachi → Jebel Ali → Dakar Port → AIBD Diass

The structural logistics question for Senegalese onion-seed importers is whether to route direct from origin port or to consolidate at Jebel Ali. We run both. The trade-offs are these.

Direct Karachi or Mundra → Dakar. Pakistani and Indian lots load FOB Karachi or Mundra, transit via the Arabian Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb, the Red Sea and Suez to the Mediterranean and round the African coast to Dakar on 28 to 40 day services (depending on routing and transhipment). Maersk and CMA CGM run weekly Dakar calls per Maersk's Senegal local information. Total port-to-port plus inland clearance: 32 to 48 days for clean documentation.

Direct Rotterdam or Antwerp → Dakar. Dutch-origin lots run 12 to 18 days port-to-port — the shortest sea route. This is the proximity advantage Dutch and northern-European origin enjoys for Senegalese commercial customers.

Direct USA East Coast or Houston → Dakar. US-origin lots run 18 to 28 days port-to-port via the Atlantic.

Jebel Ali consolidation. Pakistani, Indian, Dutch and US-origin lots arrive at Jebel Ali on their own legs, consolidate under a single Kehkashan re-export B/L, then ship Jebel Ali to Dakar in 28 to 38 days via Suez, plus inland. Total time from first leg to Dakar clearance is 40 to 60 days for ocean — but the Senegalese importer sees a single shipment, a single payment instrument, a single Halal letter and a single set of customs documents at Dakar Port.

Air freight. Dubai to AIBD Diass runs roughly 8 to 10 hours flight time on Emirates SkyCargo and Qatar Airways Cargo connections via Doha. AIBD Diass is located approximately 47 km east of Dakar per the Universal Weather AIBD airport profile. Cargo on the ground typically clears in 2 to 4 business days for dpvpermis.sn-permitted and ISTA-orange-documented lots.

Planting calendar and order timing

Senegal runs two principal onion seasons. Contre-saison froide (cold off-season) is the dominant onion season — transplanting October through January for harvest February through May, taking advantage of the harmattan-driven cool dry months. Contre-saison chaude (hot off-season) runs under irrigation in the Senegal River Valley from March through June transplanting for harvest July through October — agronomically more difficult, smaller volumes, dominated by Galmi-type and short-day OP cultivars tolerant to heat.

Distributors who carry Violet de Galmi, Bombay Red and Punjab Selection typically book the bulk of the contre-saison froide volume in July and August for October to January transplanting — that is the dominant Senegalese buying window. Contre-saison chaude F1 hybrid orders for irrigated Senegal River Valley commercial producers come through in December and January. Niayes commercial-vegetable cooperatives place 60 to 90 days ahead of nursery seedling raise.

The practical implication for Senegalese distributors: place orders 60 to 120 days before transplanting. A contre-saison froide order placed in July reaches Dakar Port in early September, clears DPV and customs in 7 to 14 days, and reaches the seedling-raising nurseries with enough margin to handle the 50 to 60 day nursery-transplant lead time before main-field transplanting. Orders placed later force air-freight top-ups via AIBD, which destroys the FOB-pricing advantage.

Why Kehkashan for Senegalese distributors

Senegalese importers building a serious 2026 onion-seed programme face a sourcing question — single-origin direct, or multi-origin consolidated through a Gulf-based desk. We run multi-origin consolidated through the UAE Free Zone. Five reasons that structure works for Senegalese buyers in the current trade environment.

UAE Free Zone trust signal. Kehkashan operates from a Meydan Free Zone licence in the UAE, which gives Senegalese importers a neutral counterparty for LC settlement, dispute resolution and documentation. The Free Zone re-export status simplifies the document set on lots that touch Indian, Pakistani, Dutch and US origins under one PO.

Multi-origin under a single PO. A single Senegalese importer can take an FCL or an LCL containing Pakistani Punjab Selection, Indian Bombay Red and Dutch F1 hybrid on one Kehkashan-issued B/L into Dakar. DPV clearance runs as one consignment, not three.

French-language documentation pack as standard. Every Senegal-destined shipment ships with French-translated variety labels, French invoice translation, Halal letter and a clearance checklist sized for the dpvpermis.sn step and the Dakar Port customs step.

Familiarity with the dpvpermis.sn workflow. We supply pro-forma invoices and lot specifications formatted to match the digital portal data fields used by Senegalese accredited importers.

One-working-day RFQ reply. Send commodity, variety, volume and destination (Dakar, AIBD, Saint-Louis, up-country) by 5pm Gulf Standard Time — receive FOB origin, CIF Dakar and CIF AIBD pricing the next working day, with the variety-availability matrix and the ISTA documentation pack.

Sample-first policy. Senegalese distributors qualifying a new origin can request 1 to 2 kg samples for nursery germination testing before committing to FCL volumes. Sample dispatch via DHL or Aramex in 4 to 7 days.

Frequently asked questions

Which onion variety should a new Senegalese distributor stock first? Violet de Galmi for the cultural-fit retail and smallholder Niayes channel; Bombay Red as the imported OP volume leader for price-sensitive cooperatives. Add a tropical Dutch F1 hybrid once your commercial-farm customer base in the Niayes or Senegal River Valley is established and willing to pay the hybrid premium.

Is an ISTA orange certificate truly mandatory for Senegalese imports? Mandatory in practice. The DPV inspection at Dakar Port and AIBD references the ISTA orange certificate as the recognised proof of germination and purity. Lots without it face sample-based re-testing that can add 7 to 21 days of clearance time and may trigger conformity flags requiring origin-side remediation.

How does the dpvpermis.sn digital portal actually work? The accredited Senegalese importer registers on the portal and submits the import permit request with the supplier pro-forma invoice, variety details, origin NPPO contact, lot specifications and intended use. Processing takes typically one to two business days versus three days under the manual workflow. The system is operated by the Direction de la Protection des Végétaux of MASAE.

Does Senegal's seasonal import ban also apply to onion seed for sowing? The seasonal suspensions that the Senegalese government imposes from time to time target fresh table onion (HS 0703) to protect the local harvest. They do not apply to seed for sowing under HS 1209 91 — seed-for-sowing imports continue year-round. Confirm the current Arrêté with your DPV broker on every shipment to be safe.

What is realistic Karachi-to-Dakar lead time for an onion-seed FCL? Twenty-eight to forty days port-to-port for direct Pakistani-origin shipments via the Suez routing, plus 7 to 14 days inland and customs clearance. Forty to sixty days for a Jebel Ali consolidated multi-origin shipment. Air freight Dubai to AIBD Diass runs 8 to 10 hours flight plus 2 to 4 days clearance for clean documentation.

What payment instrument is normal for the Senegalese onion-seed trade? Documentary LC at sight in USD or EUR remains the formal default through major Senegalese commercial banks (Société Générale Sénégal, Ecobank, CBAO Attijariwafa, BICIS, Banque Atlantique). For repeat-importer relationships, documentary collection (D/A or D/P) is workable. The CFA franc (XOF) pegging to the EUR removes a layer of FX risk.

Does Kehkashan provide a French-translated documentation pack? Yes. Every Senegal-destined shipment ships with French-translated variety labels, French invoice translation, Halal letter and a clearance checklist sized for the DPV phytosanitary step and the Dakar Port or AIBD customs step.

What does the DPV import-permit process actually take with dpvpermis.sn? The accredited Senegalese importer submits through the portal with the supplier pro-forma invoice, variety details and origin NPPO contact. Permit issuance runs one to three business days for established accredited importers, longer for first-time applicants who still need to complete accreditation. Apply 14 to 30 days ahead of shipment dispatch.

Résumé en français — pour les importateurs sénégalais

Kehkashan International est une société commerciale spécialisée dans l'exportation de produits agricoles, opérant depuis la zone franche de Meydan aux Émirats Arabes Unis. Nous servons les distributeurs d'intrants agricoles, les producteurs maraîchers des Niayes et de la Vallée du fleuve Sénégal, ainsi que les négociants installés à Dakar et Saint-Louis. Nous fournissons des graines d'oignon hybrides F1 et de variétés à pollinisation libre (OP) aux producteurs sénégalais préparant les campagnes 2026 de contre-saison froide et de contre-saison chaude, tout au long de l'année.

Le marché sénégalais de l'oignon en bref. Le Sénégal a produit environ 412 000 tonnes d'oignon en 2024, le gouvernement anticipant 450 000 tonnes pour la campagne 2025, contre une demande nationale estimée à 380 000 tonnes. Les zones de production sont concentrées sur la bande côtière des Niayes (Dakar, Thiès, Louga) et la Vallée du fleuve Sénégal (Saint-Louis, Podor, Matam, Bakel), qui représentent ensemble près de 80 pour cent de la production nationale. Le Violet de Galmi reste la variété de référence culturelle et culinaire.

Les principales variétés que les producteurs sénégalais achètent. Le Violet de Galmi (OP) est la variété emblématique : bulbe violet-rouge aplati, court-jour, 105 à 120 jours après repiquage, rendement 25 à 40 tonnes par hectare. Tropicasem, filiale sénégalaise du semencier français Technisem, commercialise une lignée sélectionnée sous licence exclusive pour neuf pays d'Afrique de l'Ouest. Bombay Red est la variété OP importée la plus vendue depuis l'Inde et le Pakistan : 105 à 130 jours, 20 à 30 tonnes par hectare. Pusa Red et Nasik N-53 sont des lignées indiennes du Maharashtra et du Gujarat. Punjab Selection est la lignée pakistanaise compétitive sur le prix. Les hybrides F1 tropicaux hollandais (Bejo Zaden, Enza Zaden) ciblent les exploitations commerciales à plus haut rendement.

Spécifications techniques exigées. Germination minimum 85 pour cent (certificat ISTA), pureté physique minimum 99 pour cent, humidité maximum 8 pour cent, absence totale de Cuscuta (cuscute), pureté variétale 98 pour cent minimum pour les OP et 99 pour cent pour les F1. Emballage en sachets sous vide de 25 kg avec étiquettes bilingues anglais-français mentionnant variété, lot, germination, pureté, date de conditionnement, date de péremption et pays d'origine.

Conformité phytosanitaire (DPV + dpvpermis.sn). Depuis juin 2022, toutes les demandes d'importation de plantes et de produits végétaux, y compris les semences, doivent être soumises via la plateforme numérique dpvpermis.sn de la Direction de la Protection des Végétaux (DPV), rattachée au Ministère de l'Agriculture, de la Souveraineté Alimentaire et de l'Élevage (MASAE). Le Sénégal est le premier pays d'Afrique de l'Ouest à utiliser un système entièrement numérisé. Chaque envoi doit être accompagné d'un certificat phytosanitaire émis par l'ONPV du pays d'origine, d'un certificat ISTA orange international, d'un certificat d'analyse de laboratoire tiers, d'un certificat de fumigation, d'une facture commerciale, d'une liste de colisage, d'un connaissement, d'un certificat d'origine et d'une lettre Halal. Le décret 60-121 du 10 mars 1960 (et ses amendements) reste le texte cadre.

Repères tarifaires Q1–Q2 2026. Bombay Red indienne : CIF Dakar 32 à 46 USD le kilo. Punjab Selection pakistanaise : CIF Dakar 28 à 40 USD le kilo. Pusa Red / Nasik N-53 indiennes : CIF Dakar 34 à 48 USD le kilo. Violet de Galmi Tropicasem (ex-Dakar) : 35 à 55 USD le kilo. Hybrides F1 tropicaux hollandais : CIF Dakar 68 à 110 USD le kilo. Quantité minimale de commande : 250 kg pour les OP en provenance d'Inde et du Pakistan, 25 kg pour les F1 et le Violet de Galmi Tropicasem.

Logistique. Un conteneur 20 pieds transporte 18 000 à 20 000 kg de semences ensachées. Le fret maritime Karachi ou Mundra vers Dakar prend 28 à 40 jours via Suez. Le fret de Rotterdam vers Dakar prend 12 à 18 jours. La consolidation à Jebel Ali ajoute du temps mais simplifie la documentation : un seul B/L, un seul instrument de paiement, une seule lettre Halal. Le fret aérien Dubaï vers AIBD Diass dure 8 à 10 heures de vol, dédouanement en 2 à 4 jours pour les dossiers conformes. Le port de Dakar reçoit les escales hebdomadaires Maersk et CMA CGM. AIBD Diass est situé à 47 km à l'est de Dakar.

Calendrier de plantation et timing des commandes. Contre-saison froide (repiquage octobre–janvier, récolte février–mai) : campagne dominante. Commandes à passer en juillet–août. Contre-saison chaude (repiquage mars–juin, récolte juillet–octobre) sous irrigation dans la Vallée du fleuve Sénégal : commandes en décembre–janvier. Placez vos commandes 60 à 120 jours avant le repiquage prévu.

Pourquoi Kehkashan ? Nous opérons depuis la zone franche de Meydan aux Émirats et consolidons les semences de plusieurs pays d'origine (Inde, Pakistan, Pays-Bas, États-Unis) sous un seul bon de commande. Nous fournissons un dossier documentaire complet en français avec lettre Halal. Nous répondons aux demandes de prix sous un jour ouvré. Nous expédions des échantillons sous 4 à 7 jours via DHL ou Aramex. Nous connaissons le workflow dpvpermis.sn et formatons nos factures pro-forma pour les champs du portail numérique.

Pour demander un devis : envoyez les détails de la variété, de la quantité et du point de livraison (Dakar, AIBD Diass, Saint-Louis, autre ville) à [email protected] ou via le formulaire de demande de devis. Nous répondons sous un jour ouvré avec les prix FOB du pays d'origine, CIF Dakar, CIF AIBD Diass, le dossier ISTA et le calendrier de livraison adapté à votre fenêtre de contre-saison.

Trade desk closing note

Senegal is a serious 2026 onion-seed buy-side opportunity. The cultivation footprint is large and expanding, the variety stack is well-defined around Violet de Galmi and short-day red imports, and the import demand is structural — local seed multiplication does not meet national commercial demand. The buyer-side disciplines are documentation (dpvpermis.sn permit, origin phyto, ISTA orange) and timing (place orders 60 to 120 days before transplanting). Get those right and the lot clears Dakar Port or AIBD Diass cleanly.

For procurement teams running supplier qualification or Senegalese distributors ready to receive a quote, send the RFQ — variety, volume, destination point (Dakar, AIBD Diass, Saint-Louis, up-country city), planting season — to [email protected] or via the RFQ form. The trade desk replies in one working day with FOB origin, CIF Dakar and CIF AIBD pricing across the variety matrix, the ISTA documentation pack, and the lead-time calendar against your contre-saison froide or contre-saison chaude transplanting window.

Pour demander un devis, écrivez à [email protected] — réponse sous un jour ouvré.