Senegal Invests FCFA 22B in Onion Powder Factory

On 26 February, Assane Seck announced that his factory which processes onion into powder is scheduled to be officially open by 15 March 2025. The plant is located in his hometown of Ross Bethio.

The project necessitated an investment of FCFA 22 billion (USD 35 million) was financed via the World Bank and in partnership with a German investor. Every year, some 15,000 tonnes of onion go bad and are wasted.

The factory has a floor of space of 4,000 square meters and can process 35,000 tonnes of onions to produce 4,000 tonnes of onion powder yearly. It will create ‘hundreds of jobs’ in the factory.

At the same time, the project will contribute to sustain thousands of household who depend on smallholder farming. Some 15,000 smallhoders will benefit from the project by finding an economic outlet for their onion which could not be sold. The dried powdered onion has a best before period of two years.

The dehydrating ovens are powered by renewable energy by burning biomass. The biomass plant itself required several billions of FCFA. The factory will contribute to #FoodSecurity while adding value to a household commodity thanks to preservation via dehydration.