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| ZERO EMISSIONS RESEARCH INITIATIVE (ZERI) | |
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SENEGAL
ZERI Activities in Senegal Senegal is richly endowed with phosphate deposits, which are mined for the manufacture of phosphate fertilizer, most of which is exported because the local Village Communities cannot afford. River Senegal forms a key resource and many economic activities are centred in the ri9ver, however, the river is badly infested with the water hyacinth weed, Eichhornia Crassipes, which is conceived as a serious environmental problem in the country. Key agricultural activities include the farming of sorghum, millet sesame, rice, maize, cotton, sugar cane, groundnuts, coconuts, cashewnuts and various types of palms. The country has an abundant population of baobob trees, which is treasured as a very valuable free. All parts of the plant are used by the people, thus signifying the key element of the ZERI Concept: zero waste of biomass. Considering the various natural resources and problem existing in the country a number of ZERI can be identified. For example the water hyacinth in River Senegal can be used on the various categories of value-added products from its biomass including the production of mushrooms, biogas energy, paper, furniture, livestock feed supplement etc. The thick biomass of water hyacinth can also be used as a source of Nitrogen Fertilizer and pelleted with local phosphate deposits to produce more affordable fertilizer to the local agricultural communities. In the vicinity of Dakar and other northern regions of the country, most of the mushrooms eaten are imported, and are unaffordable to the local people. Since these regions are relatively dry, the eating of local mushrooms is not highly celebrated in the wetter southern region of the country. Thus in the promotion of mushroom farming, the production of advocacy materials to promote awareness creation on mushroom nutritional and medicinal values, on mushroom cooking menus and on their potential towards poverty alleviation, should be amongst the key items on the agenda. The biomass of the various agricultural crops that are farmed, as mentioned above, could be used as substrates for profitable mushroom farming. The mushroom farming innovation should, indeed, be seen as a new opportunity towards promoting agricultural diversification in the economy, and towards producing a new food and cash crop in the country. The African Regional Centre for Technology (ARCT) is undertaking renewable energy as one of the activities the center promotes. This is includes biogas energy production from various categories of wastes. ZERI and ARCT will work together to generate synergy. The sharing of technologies on the construction of biogas digesters; on the construction of algal oxidation ponds adjacent to the digesters; on the use of mineralized and oxygenated water from algal ponds for integrated agricultural activities downstream; and mineralized sludge from the biodigester, which is an excellent agro-fertilizer, are all areas of synergy between ARCT and ZERI. The various uses of the baobob tree as well as the neem tree will be documented and promoted not only to Senegal but to all countries in Africa where these valuable trees are found. ARCT in Collaboration with UNDP Resident Representative in Senegal, are working to identify all key players who will be given the challenge on the implementation of the selected ZERI priority activities in Senegal. The idea is for all the stakeholders to work together as members of a coherent team with a common goal and shared vision. The activities under taken to date include the following: establishing an inventory of the various types of substrates available for mushroom production in Senegal; maintaining and multiplying mushroom spawn (seed stock); preparing mother spawn for the mushrooms Pleurotus sajor-caju, Ganoderma lucidum, and Lentinula edodes; and demonstrating to the communities in Senegal appropriate technologies on the cultivation of mushrooms in plastic bags. More funding support is needed to expand mushroom farming extension work, since the prospects are enormous. In what way? Senegal is amongst the world’s largest producers of peanuts. In 1998, the country produced 506,000 metric tonnes. Peanut cultivation generates a huge tonnage of peanut shell wastes. Senegal also produces a lot of sugar cane (885,000 tonnes), maize (426, 000 tonnes), rice (174, 000 tonnes), and cotton (52,000 tonnes), all 1998 figures. Residues and wastes from these crops are all good substrates for mushroom production Industries. General Information about Senegal Capital city: Population: |
