By: Momodou Justice Darboe
The Gambia Groundnut Corporation (GGC) now called National Food Security Processing and Marketing Corporation (NFSPMC) has been struggling to effect timely payment for farmers’ groundnuts as the supply of the commodity exceeded demand.
Farmers have been expressing disappointment and frustration in the GGC for the corporation’s inability to make good on its promise of a credit-free peanut marketing season.
Before the commencement of this season, the GCC made an undertaking to ensure cash was given to farmers once their groundnuts were weighed at the groundnut buying points or Seccos.
The corporation has consistently appealed to farmers to sell their peanuts to the government.
During the last presidential Meet-The-People tour, the Gambian leader Adama Barrow and his agriculture minister Dr. Demba Sabally vociferously campaigned among the groundnut farming community for farmers to sell their produce to the GGC.
The President hinted that groundnut farmers are indebted to his government for heavily subsidizing groundnut cultivation this year by bringing the prices of fertilizer and seeds within the reach of the average farmer.
This farming season is a bumper harvest for groundnut farmers.
However, the government has been struggling to ensure the timely disbursement of cash for farmers’ produce.
The GGC said it disburses millions of Dalasi to Seccos to facilitate swift payment of farmers’ groundnut money but many peanut farmers all over the country said they could not feel the trickle-down effects of these massive disbursements of funds.
More details later…
