G/SPS/GEN/1451  
 
2 October 2015  
(15-5116)  Page: 1/5  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: French  
 
  MARKET ACCESS PROBLEMS FOR CERTAIN SENEGALESE PRODUCTS 
COMMUNICATION FROM SENEGAL 
The following communication, received on 1 October 2015, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of Senegal. 
 
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 In preparation for the SPS Committee meeting scheduled to take place in Geneva in October 2015, the African Union, through the InterAfrican Bu reau for Animal Resources (AU/IBAR), invited 
African countries to Nairobi with a view to enhancing their capacities and identifying trade 
problems concerning access to certain markets. 
In Senegal's case, it was noted that access to some markets is proving difficult, most notably for 
mangoes wishing to enter the Lebanese and Tunisian markets, and cherry tomatoes destined for 
the Russian market. 
1  ACCESS TO THE LEBANESE AND TUNISIAN MARKETS FOR SENEGALESE MANGOES 
1.1  Background 
1.1.  Of the estimated 150,000 tonnes of mangoes produced by Senegal, 16,000 tonnes are 
exported to various markets. 80% of these ex ports are destined for the European Union, 
despite its fairly strict phytosanitary and trade requirements. 
1.2.  The main constraint in this sector is the presence of Bactrocera dorsalis , commonly known as 
fruit fly, and, to a lesser extent, certain diseases  of fungal etiology, such as anthracnose caused 
by Colletotrichum gloecosproides . 
1.3.  This quarantine pest (fruit fly), pres ent in Senegal since 2004, has been the focus of 
numerous research programmes seeking to establish reliable and environmentally-friendly control methods. 
1.4.  In the years following the first infestations, exports decreased considerably and interception 
notifications were made by destination countries. 
1.2  Mango sector achievements 1.5.  Thanks to encouraging results from the re search into control methods, and the development 
of a technical mechanism to monitor sector participants, mango exports continue to increase 
each year in very demanding markets. 
1.6.  With regard to risk analysis, the Government of the United States has provided trade 
opportunities for developing countries within the framework of its AGOA programme. 
Many Senegalese products are eligible, including fruits and vegetables. G/SPS/GEN/1451 
 
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  1.7.  In line with the provisions of the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, 
the rules of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and US requirements, it was 
necessary to conduct a phytosanitary risk analysis for the five sectors identified by exporters (mango, melon, bean, asparagus and cherry tomato). The results showed that these 
products could indeed be exported to the American market, which has very strict 
phytosanitary requirements. 
1.8.  A quality-management system has also been introduced in this sector. The system covers 
the following: 
 the recording of all small and medium-sized horticultural enterprises and 
operators/exporters in the Plant Protection Directorate (DPV) database; 
 the classification of these enterprises and op erators/exporters, according to the level of 
risk that they may represent; 
 the planning of the monitoring of enterprises and packaging plants; 
 the development of a public-private partnership and the creation of a capacity-building 
programme; 
 international Global GAP and Organic Farming standard certification of at least 
30 mango-exporting companies, including those wishing to explore the 
markets concerned. 
1.9.  This strategy enables inspectors and crop protection agents to monitor all operators, from the 
production stage through to the packaging stage; to carry out phytosanitary surveillance activities; to direct control operations; and to carry out the necessary trade conformity and phytosanitary 
checks using existing validated procedures, before any certificates are issued. 
1.10.  Regarding the results of this approach, we have noted an increase in the volume of 
mangoes entering the international market and in the level of conformity of the products; indeed, 
plant and plant product inspection and control services have received European Community 
approval for the control of conformity to marketing standards applicable to fruit and vegetables (REG 430/EC). 
1.11.  Mango exports rose from 7,658 tonnes in 2011 to 15,124 tonnes in 2014, an increase 
of 100% in four years. 
1.12.  Mangoes are Senegal's primary horticultural export product in terms of volume entering the 
international market. The current 2015 season has set a new record, with mango exports 
amounting to almost 17,000 tonnes. Senegal is currently the second most important West African 
mango-exporting country after Côte d'Iv oire, ahead of Mali and Burkina Faso. 
1.13.  Destination markets consider our mangoes to be of good quality and know that 
phytosanitary problems such as anthracnose and fruit fly are well managed. 
1.14.  Exports to the international market in 2014 were distributed as follows: Table: Distribution of export  volumes by destination, 2014 
Period Destination Volume (T) 
June-September 2014 European Union 
 
Mauritania  Ghana 
 
Morocco  
Dubai  11,111 
 
 1,587   1,602 
 
 818  
 5 
Total   15,123 
1.15.  At 30 September 2014, the total volume of mango exports amounted to 15,123 tonnes 
(all destinations: Europe, sub-region and others). G/SPS/GEN/1451 
 
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  Exports of mangoes to the EU from May to September in the last six years (tonnes) 
 
Transport used to export mangoes, 2014 (e xcluding road shipments to Mauritania) 
 
 
AIR
SHIP
ROADROAD 
8%AIR
4%
SHIP 88%
 
 
 
1.3  Fruit fly management system and other post-harvest activities 
1.3.1  A research-approved zonal approach (z ones 1, 2, 3) has been applied to all 
mango-exporting regions in Senegal. It  comprises the following activities: 
 ongoing training for producers and exporter s on fruit fly control methods and market 
requirements; 
 orchard sanitation, other prophylactic measures and the use of good agricultural 
practices; 
 the application of the male annihilation technique, using pheromone traps (Mal'atrap); 
 the use of edible bait (Success Bait) to control female flies; 
 the release of 300,000 biological agents ( Fopius arisanus ) in the various production 
areas (biological control); 
 post-release monitoring has shown the g ood establishment and dispersion of the 
parasitoids, resulting in a considerable reduction in fruit fly populations and an 
improvement in fruit quality. The parasito id breeding programme is conducted at the 
Agricultural Zoology Laboratory and the Senegalese Agricultural Research Institute in Djibélor, Casamance. May to September 
G/SPS/GEN/1451 
 
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  1.3.2  Procedure for organizing harves ting and post-harvesting activities 
1.16.  The self-monitoring system applied in horticultural enterprises in conjunction with quality 
experts takes into account aspects such as the following:  
 the criteria to be met by mangoes for export (selection of varieties, level of ripeness 
according to mode of transport, colouring, etc.); 
 defects of unpicked fruit identified by specialized and trained pickers; 
 serious quality problems (insect holes, stem rot, diseases, etc.); 
 mango handling and harvesting techniques (necessary equipment, fruit selection, 
picking, de-stemming, packing, loading/unloading, etc.). 
1.17.  Official phytosanitary and quality checks at packing centres and exit points are carefully 
conducted by a dedicated technical team of sworn inspectors, with a view to further reassuring our 
trading partners. 
1.18.  At this stage, check-lists are used and inspec tion reports are filed in case tracing is at some 
point necessary.  
1.19.  Any non-conforming consignment, i.e.  one that does not meet the phytosanitary 
requirements, is downgraded.  
1.20.  Thanks to the above-mentioned measures, we are sure that we can guarantee the 
appropriate level of phytosanitary protection fo r the markets concerned; indeed, most of our 
mango exports (85%) are destined for the European Union and the Maghreb (Morocco), both of which have very strict quarantine requirements. 
1.4  Initiatives with the countries concerned 
1.21.  The demand for mangoes in the countries concerned is high, and yet certain professional 
operators have been unsuccessful in thei r attempts to penetrate these markets. 
1.22.  Senegal's NPPO has raised this issue with the national SPS enquiry points or IPPC contact 
points in these countries, but to no avail, and bilateral sessions have therefore been requested at 
the SPS Committee meeting in Geneva in order to deepen market access discussions with these countries. 
1.23.  Senegal even plans to invite Tunisia and Le banon to come and see at first hand the steps it 
is taking to deal with the phytosanitary problems affecting mangoes, with the support of the Government and a number of projects and programmes, such as the ECOWAS regional project, financed by the European Union, and the projec t to enhance the competitiveness of Senegalese 
mangoes (PACMS), financed by the Enhanced Inte grated Framework Trust Fund (CFAF 1.5 billion) 
(exclusively for the mango sector). 
2  ACCESS TO THE RUSSIAN MARKET FOR CHERRY TOMATOES 
2.1.  Given the opportunities presented by th is market, certain Senegalese operators have 
attempted to enter it in conjunction with their European partners. 
2.2.  Unfortunately, however, the products conc erned are often blocked at Russian Federation 
border points for documentation-related reasons, e.g. recurrent authentication of phytosanitary 
certificates. Given the perishable nature of these products, there are plans for a bilateral meeting with the Russian delegation to examine this issue, within the framework of the SPS Committee meeting. 
2.3.  If necessary, original phytosanitary docume nts and other specimen signatures from approved 
Senegalese plant health inspectors will be given to the Russian delegation to facilitate the passage of the products concerned. Although the products transit through the European Union, 
specific trade problems between Europe and Russia should not have a negative impact on products 
from other origins ( reference: Import restrictions imposed by Russia on certain types of plant 
product (potatoes) from the European Union (STC 372) due to the presence of quarantine pests ). G/SPS/GEN/1451 
 
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  2.4.  Regarding this sector's results for 2014, it should be noted that after several years in which 
out-of-season cherry tomato exports amounted to around 9,000 tonnes, the 2014 season recorded a sharp increase, with exports amounting to 12,251 tonnes (+26%), 86% of which was exported by the GDS company (10,537 tonnes). 
Watermelon  
11,106
Sweet corn 
10,084
Melon
14,278Cherry 
tomoatoes
12,251Green beans
9,202Other
3,334
Squash 
2,217
 
2.5.  Cherry tomatoes have therefore become th e second most important export product (in 2013, 
it was watermelon). The destination markets consider this product to be of high quality, 
as evidenced by the absence of notifications of interception on the international market. 
2.6.  To resolve the problem, the two countries have exchanged correspondence through 
the Russian Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Control Service and the Senegalese Plant 
Protection Directorate (through diplomatic channels). 
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