CMGP WISHES TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF IRRIGATION IN SENEGAL
CMGP WISHES TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF IRRIGATION IN SENEGAL
The emergence to which Senegal aspires by 2035 goes through food self-sufficiency. CMGP, leader in irrigation in Morocco, wishes to make its contribution to this challenge.
Discussion with the administrative and financial manager of CMGP Senegal who shares the group’s ambition in Senegal.
Mr. Diop can you briefly introduce yourself?
I am the Administrative and Financial Manager of CMGP Senegal, a newly created subsidiary of the CMGP Group. After a finance course at the Ecole Polytechnique de Dakar and experience in insurance and construction, I joined the CMGP group at the end of 2019.
This coincided with the ambition of the CMGP group to set up in Sd to provide them with support and expertise.
What motivated such an establishment in Senegal?
Senegal is a country where agriculture plays a key role: to feed the populations but also as the main activity of the majority of the population.
To increase agricultural yields and develop agricultural production, supplying water to agricultural land remains a major challenge. The insufficient and variable rainfall from year to year is a huge constraint for farmers in this country.
Irrigation, by organizing a controlled and economical supply of water to agricultural land, is part of the solution. With its experience in Morocco, CMGP aims to contribute to the development of irrigation in Senegal.
In addition, we have already carried out successful projects in Senegal in the past which have confirmed the relevance of our offer for the Senegalese market.
What do you think of agriculture in Senegal?
We are in the installation phase and are still discovering the local agricultural ecosystem. There is already a real political impetus to accelerate the transformation of the sector and real know-how in the cultivation of certain foods.
Our ambition is to bring our experience feedback on irrigation to Morocco in order to accelerate the metamorphosis of the sector.
Explain the CMGP products to us?
CMGP is gradually positioning itself in all areas of water and agriculture. Our historic core business remains irrigation: the study, design, production and supply of equipment, as well as the installation of irrigation systems.
Typically a farmer, regardless of the size of his land, who needs to equip his farm with an irrigation system can call on our services to support him in the design of his project, the sizing of the installation, the supply of equipment (irrigation ramps, water pipes, pumping, filtration, etc.), then installation until the start of the project.
Beyond irrigation projects, CMGP Senegal is also positioned as a distributor with a large product portfolio (+ 2000 references) in irrigation systems, solar energy (photovoltaic) as well as other equipment. in agriculture (nets, geomembrane, mulch film, etc.).
In 25 years CMGP has become the leader in Morocco with more than 170,000 ha of irrigated plots, which still represents more than the irrigated area in Senegal.
How do you plan to conquer the national territory?
Our approach has already been initiated with teams already present and working. We have an operational infrastructure of over 3,000 m2 in Dakar, including our storage platform, a showroom and our offices. Concretely, from tomorrow, farmers can come to our agency to source their equipment without having to wait for the import deadlines. This availability is a differentiating factor of CMGP.
By the end of the year, we want to continue to establish a fruitful dialogue with ecosystem players, organize one or two events to meet the authorities, potential clients, and potential partners.
We are awaiting the onset of the dry season to gradually ramp up operational activity. Ultimately, we want to let our quality and reputation speak for themselves, as is the case in the countries where we already operate.
What are your achievements in Africa?
CMGP has a presence in Morocco for more than 25 years. Today, in Morocco, the group has a very wide range of activities: a powerful distribution network that covers the whole country and makes it possible to reach small and medium-sized farmers, a design office of several dozen of engineers who focus on large private projects that require more specialized expertise and a department that deals with public contracts, particularly in the deployment of water infrastructure.
We have also had many projects elsewhere in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, Mali among others. And we want to share our know-how with more and more countries in Africa.
Where do you have the most notoriety?
CMGP is well known in Morocco where not only do we have a leading position, but we have also contributed to the emergence of the irrigation ecosystem in Morocco. In addition, our quality, guaranteed by numerous international certifications, is also a factor in building customer loyalty.
But beyond Morocco, we are enjoying growing notoriety among pan-African players in the irrigation sector. We also hope to reproduce this model in Senegal.
What are your resentments?
I think CMGP has nothing to be ashamed of over its 25-year career. Becoming a leader in the field of irrigation is a real source of pride. Today we are focusing on the next 25 years to contribute to the emergence of strong agriculture on the African continent, starting with Senegal.
We have also had many projects elsewhere in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, Mali among others. And we want to share our know-how with more and more countries in Africa.
