Project activities in Senegal started a year later than in other countries. Furthermore, the project had to start from scratch, from selecting a beneficiary group onwards. For the selected product, mango, no farmer associations with exporting experience could be readily found.

In collaboration with Agrecol Afrique, an NGO based in Thiès, a pre-selection of two groups was made. Those groups, the 'Fédération des Agropasteurs de Diender' and the 'Union des Groupements des Producteurs de Niayes' had many members with mango orchards, but so far had concentrated their activities on vegetable cultivation and marketing.

These associations were submitted to a motivation and capacity test, by asking them to conduct a survey among their members on acreage and variety of mangoes. In the end it was decided to continue with both groups. This offered the opportunity to use the field officers of one association as the internal control officers of the other association. The pilot farmers and field officer/internal officers are now regrouped in the Bio Niayes Organisations (BNO).