Annual information meeting “L’escale” Sénalia held in Paris – Cirque d’hiver January 9, 2026

Succeeding in an uncertain world, feeding the world together

On the occasion of SENALIA’s annual information meeting “l’escale” at the Cirque d’Hiver on Friday, January 9, 2026, discussions highlighted the current and future challenges of the agro-industrial sector. Philippe Lestrade, CEO of Sénalia, presented the group’s activities in a context marked by the low harvest of summer 2024. While cereal tonnages in Rouen declined, agro-industrial activities remained strong. Agro-industrial logistics saw its share of revenue rise from 40% to 49%, while storage continued its growth (8% of revenue). To meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges, Sénalia must more than ever rely on three key levers: creativity, flexibility, and versatility.

Sébastien Landerretche and Alain Charvillat reminded that uncertainty is inherent in maritime transport, marked by the high volatility of freight rates.

Franck Trifol, Indulgence Sales Director South & West Europe Cargill Food Solutions, and Thomas Desjonqueres illustrated this reality by discussing the vulnerability of cocoa to climate, health, and geopolitical shocks.
This operational flexibility is concretely reflected in the investments presented by Antoine Tartault and Matthieu Calais, with the overhaul of the train pit at the Sénalia sugar site.

Betty Ka highlighted the essential work of the World Food Programme (WFP): every ton produced, stored, or transported helps support human lives. In Kenya, the WFP acts as a strategic partner of the state by securing flows and logistics.

The discussions with Philippe Heusele, Abdelkrim Marchani, and Christophe Lemelle emphasized the key role of Rouen in cereal exports, resulting from a collective effort across the region.

Finally, Didier Verbeke, President of Sénalia Union, François Bonte, President of Sénalia SICA, and the administrators reminded that the cooperative model is an essential strength in supporting farmers.

“Nothing works without the collective,” concludes Didier Verbeke.