DP World has marked the official start of Senegal's cashew export season, welcoming the MV Diogue, a mega-shipment carrying 2,000 tonnes of cashews from neighbouring Guinea-Bissau. 

It noted that West Africa is becoming one of the world's leading exporters of cashew nuts, and in Senegal, the nut sector is flourishing due to the country's role as a key gateway for exports of this precious agricultural commodity.

The cashew export season in the West African country started on July 5. 

DP World said last year, some 180,000 tonnes of cashew nuts from Senegal and Guinea Bissau passed through the DP World Dakar terminal for international export, with the team helping local producers and exporters find international outlets for their products, thereby contributing to local development and prosperity.

India and Vietnam were the primary destinations. 

"The agricultural sector in Senegal and Guinea Bissau represents a significant proportion of economic activity in both countries, which need a stable supply chain that facilitates innovative, flexible and cost-effective solutions," said Clarence Rodrigues, CEO of DP World Dakar. 

As part of its commitment to supporting the cashew export season, DP World said it works with cashew traders by liaising with shipping lines, monitoring the cargo from its point of departure until it is loaded onto the regular lines, and handling the packaging, stuffing, and weighing operations for transport to its intended destination. 

In recent years, DP World Dakar has collaborated with various shipping lines at the container terminal to ensure the efficient and seamless export of cashews from Senegal and Guinea Bissau to countries worldwide, including key markets in Asia. 

"Through faster administrative processes and new storage solutions – such as loading cargo directly at the terminal – we are saving customers time and money. We enable cashew producers in Senegal and Guinea Bissau to have access to international markets," said Rodrigues. 

Over the past 16 years, DP World has invested over US$300 million in modernising the Port of Dakar, transforming it from a facility that handled 265,000 TEUs annually in 2008 to a state-of-the-art terminal that handled 800,000 TEUs in total 2023 – positively impacting trade, economic expansion, and job creation. 

DP World has also significantly improved the availability of goods for communities across Senegal and beyond, reinforcing the Port of Dakar's status as one of the most efficient terminals in West Africa and a leading example of operational excellence on the African continent. 

"DP World is also investing US$1 billion in the ongoing construction of the Port of Ndayane (50km from Dakar), which will further enhance Senegal's trade position," the announcement said.

It added that this is the largest single private-sector investment in the country's history.