Senegalese footballer Sadio Mané has inaugurated a multi-million-dollar agro-industrial complex in his hometown aimed at boosting mango processing and creating local jobs.
The project, known as SM10 Agro and valued at CFA11.7 billion ($20.4 million), was launched on September 19 in Bambali in the Sédhiou Region of southern Senegal.
The facility will feature a processing plant with an annual capacity of 8,500 tonnes of mangoes, producing pulp, dried fruit and mango butter. It will be supported by a 500-hectare plantation of Kent mangoes.
Casamance, Senegal’s main mango-producing area, has long suffered from limited processing capacity, contributing to estimated post-harvest losses of 30 to 45 percent of the fruit harvest each year.
Speaking at the launch, Mané said he hoped his contribution would outlast his playing career. “I don’t want to be remembered only for the goals I scored. Before the stadiums, the lights and the victories, there was, of course, Bambali. This is where my dreams began… We want to help create jobs and develop agriculture,” he said.
The plant is expected to process fruit that may not meet phytosanitary standards for export to European markets, helping reduce waste and support local farmers in a region where processing infrastructure has been unevenly distributed.
