By Haddy Touray
The Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) has donated two tricycles and four electronic weighing scales to the Federation of Cashew Farmers Association.
The donation which was made under FFF’s national facilitator Mr. Kanimang Camara, was meant for distribution to the association’s affiliated groups across the regions.
The equipment, funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF), is intended to reduce transportation costs and improve the movement of cashew produce from farms to markets.
The presentation ceremony took place at Brikama Nyambia Forest at the end of a capacity-building and awareness forum on cashew market analysis. The forum brought together affiliated cashew farmer federations from different regions of the country.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Kanimang Camara said the initiative was designed to address long-standing transportation challenges affecting cashew farmers and to strengthen the operations of the federation.
He described the intervention as a key milestone for the Federation of Cashew Farmers Association, noting that the equipment would support economic activities and reduce post-harvest losses linked to transport constraints.
“This support is meant to ease transportation challenges that have affected farmers for years,” Mr. Camara said, adding that the items were provided through FAO funding under the FFF programme.
He said the capacity-building forum, held alongside the presentation, focused on cashew market analysis and provided a platform for farmers’ organisations to share experiences and discuss challenges facing the sector.
Also speaking, the President of the Gambia Farmers Platform, Mr. Sherifo Bojang, described the donation as a timely intervention that would ease farmers’ transportation burden and improve their livelihoods.
He said the support was part of a broader collaboration between FAO, FFF, the Gambia Farmers Platform, and cashew farmer federations.
Mr. Bojang encouraged beneficiary groups to make effective use of the equipment and thanked FAO and FFF for what he called a significant contribution to farmers’ welfare.
President of the Federation of Gambia Cashew Farmers Association, Ms. Louise Silver, said the equipment would be distributed to vulnerable farming areas, including Kiang and Foni, which face major transport challenges.
She added that allocation would consider compliance with annual membership dues from 2022 to 2026.
“We urge all members who are not up to date with their dues to regularize their payments to avoid exclusion from future allocations,” Ms. Silver said.
She further called on beneficiaries to take proper care of the equipment, noting that it would contribute to improving incomes and strengthening farmers’ associations.
