The Kaolack Salt Producers' Cooperative: the strength of the collective

The Kaolack Salt Producers’ Cooperative is made up of 8 women’s MSEs from different villages in the region that specialize in the artisanal production of salt. About 2,400 people work in salt production, including 1,362 women.

The objective of the cooperative is to supervise and accompany the salt producers by harmonizing the purchase prices of salt, but also by creating employment in the production areas to fight against the rural exodus or immigration, because the sector is a blessing with an inexhaustible main resource.

In the space of 10 years of exploitation, the populations evolving in the production of salt have seen their living environment evolve and the activity of exploitation of salt allows women to tend towards autonomy.

The State of Senegal, through the DER, has supported the project and has enabled the cooperative to find local partners such as PATISEN or SENICO and to sign contracts for the supply of salt with a capacity of 2600 tons per month.

The income from salt exploitation has allowed the different villages to build classrooms to promote access to education, but also to diversify the women’s activity sectors with the installation of mills to process local products.