By Isatou Sarr
The 2025/2026 groundnut trade season in The Gambia has set a new standard for efficiency and transparency, with D882 million spent on purchases nationwide and farmers paid promptly for the first time in several years.
The National Food Security and Produce Marketing Corporation (NFSPMC) said D766 million was channelled to Cooperative Produce Marketing Societies (CPMS), while D115 million went to contracted private traders for 2,899 metric tons of clean, screened groundnuts.
For the first time, financing was linked to performance. Local cooperative unions, or SECCOs, were required to deliver at least 70 percent of expected tonnage before receiving additional funds, ensuring accountability.
The results exceeded expectations. Kerr Sait Saloum delivered 128 percent of its target, Pakau Penku 119 percent, and Fass Omar Saho and Mamud Fana more than 112 percent. NFSPMC depots in Saaro, Barra, Kerewan, Kaur, and Basse South operated 24 hours daily to maintain steady intake, ease congestion in rural markets, and prevent payment delays.
By early January, 15,230 metric tons had been received out of an expected 20,176 metric tons, representing 75 percent of the season. Some SECCOs fell short of expectations, with one, Sara Kunda, recording no deliveries. Thresholds were published, performance monitored, and consequences applied transparently.
In villages such as Medina Sancha, Fass, and Ndungu, the impact is evident. Trucks are moving, markets are active, cash is flowing, and farmers are receiving timely payments. Analysts say the season demonstrates that food security depends on clear systems, rules, and data, rather than slogans, and that trust between the state and rural producers is being restored.