By Chris Simpson in Dakar

The late arrival of the rains in Senegal has been greeted with widespread relief after a severe drought affected the country's already troubled agricultural sector.

The planting season has been heavily disrupted, and the government appealed recently for international aid, anticipating serious food deficits in the weeks ahead.

Agriculture, particularly groundnut farming, is crucial to Senegal's economy, employing more than 60% of the population.

The current government, headed by President Abdoulaye Wade, says it wants to improve conditions for peanut farmers and make Senegalese agriculture more productive.

But the government's critics say Mr Wade has been slow to respond to a growing rural crisis and that his proposed reforms are ill-thought out and poorly communicated.

Alarming predictions

Over the past few weeks, the problems in Senegalese agriculture have topped the national agenda.

"Now and in 25 years time it is the rural world which determines how things go here and you can't have any development in Senegal without it"

Mamadou Cissokho, CNCR

Mr Wade, normally a confident political operator, has faced accusations of presiding over a catastrophe, letting Senegal slide into famine.

Opposition parties have led the attacks, but farmers' organisations and rural pressure groups have issued their own rebukes.

Learning to listen

Mamadou Cissokho heads the CNCR, a national council defending rural interests.

He says the warnings have been there for months, but the government still has to learn how to listen.

"What they haven't done is consult with the farmers," he says.

"A policy works best when it involves the people it's meant to be helping.

"Now and in 25 years time it is the rural world which determines how things go here and you can't have any development in Senegal without it".

Problems "not unique"

Minister of Agriculture Pape Diouf has led the government's appeals for outside assistance but has also warned against what he describes as irresponsible exaggeration.

His argument is that government spending on agriculture has increased dramatically over the past two years.

President Wade: Promises a campaign to protect the rural population

Mr Diouf says Senegal's problems are not unique, that the United States and Eu