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FeatureSDG 17

FIKA 2021 – International Fair for Business and Information

At the Kaolack International Trade Fair, smallest as well as large companies offer their products. It is the place to market products powered by renewable energies – and to inform oneself about them. Green People’s Energy (GBE) therefore enables renewable energy suppliers to participate and motivates interested people to visit.

From the 28th October to the 14th November, the Kaolock International Trade Fair (FIKA 2021) will open its doors for the sixth time. Exhibitors showcase agricultural and industrial products and services. The Kaolack region is located about 200 kilometers southeast of Dakar. The capital city of the same name is home to 200,000 people.

The trade fair is therefore a good place for companies that want to market their renewable energy-based machines and solutions. On the other hand, the fair offers cooperatives, companies, small hold and women farmers the opportunity to find out about the many possible applications of these technologies. GBE Senegal is therefore present with a stand, enabling suppliers of renewable energy products to participate and market their products. GBE invites potential customers to visit the FIKA and learn more about renewable energy products, application possibilities and payment conditions.

Senegalese women smallholder farmers and agribusinesses in particular face intense competition from agricultural imports. Foreign suppliers have an advantage because they have been able to better mechanise their production and can therefore offer their products cheaper,” says Cheikh Mambaye Sy, the responsible for partnerships with rural cooperatives of Green People’s Energy in Senegal. However, to improve their position in this competition, Senegalese agricultural producers need more energy at competitive costs.

Applications for the productive use of renewable energy, such as irrigation pumps, cooling elements or processing machines, represent attractive solutions for improving a company’s efficiency and expanding its production capacity. Moreover, machines powered by renewable energy require almost no operating capital and emit no pollutants. Renewable energy powered machines therefore have great potential to improve the competitiveness of Senegalese products on the local and international markets. However, many potential users lack information about existing solar and other renewable energy solutions, as well as financing options. At the same time, many suppliers of these technologies do not understand enough about the real needs of customers in rural areas. Thus, the exchange of both is essential.

That is why we decided to bring together potential customers and possible suppliers at FIKA 2021,” says Papa Antou Ndao, Entrepreneurship Advisor at GBE Senegal. GBE Senegal has invited several renewable energy technology providers from different regions of Senegal to showcase and market their products at GBE’s booth at the fair. The products range from solar irrigation pumps, cooling elements (refrigerators, freezers, positive and negative cold rooms, ice plants), (grist) mills, solar dryers, peeling machines and other processing machines powered by renewable energy.

In addition, GBE invites potential users – first and foremost cooperatives, micro and small enterprises, producers, and women entrepreneurs – as well as generally interested parties to visit the FIKA 2021 from the 28th October to the 14th November 2021 in Kaolack.