ETUDE DIAGNOSTIQUE DES PROBLEMES ET BESOINS D'INFORMATION DANS LES PETITES ET MOYENNES ENTREPRISES (PME) / PETITES ET MOYENNES INDUSTRIES (PMI) AGROALIMENTAIRES DANS LA REGION DE DAKAR

The food sector, one of the first supp/iers of senega/ese economy, has experienced an
unprecedented deve/opement in the fast decade. It is the major component of the
senegalese primary sector and take up a very imf}Oltant place in the eamomy of the
country and contributed about 42 % in the creation of G.D.P (Gross Domestic Product), 23
% for the agricultura/ sector, 7 % for the breeding sector, 12 % for the fishing sector. The
agricultural sector field of this disserlâtion, covers 45 % of the activioes in the primary
sector and takes up the 2/3 of the population. The imporliJnce and the interest of this sector
are characterized by a creation and an incessant increase of unities of transformation and
marketing of food product. And most of these firms which are sma/1 and medium sized firms
encounter a lot of di/fieu/lies to have aa:ess to strategic information allowing them to face
the harsh competition and improve their sales figure and most of tne lime need commercial,
techno/ogy, finandal and competitive information. The idea of improving the competitivity, of
the sma/1 and medium sized firms of food resides in the study prob/ems and information
needs which is the focus of this disserlâtion. In fact, Senegal, like al/ undeveloping oeuntries,
is characterized by an industrial environment large/y dominated by the sma/1 and medium
sized firms that is to say 80 or 90 % of the industries of the oeuntry. In this oentext, the
sma/1 and medium sized forms of food in particular and those ingenera/ must have acoess to
strategic information to face the harsh competition.