The Turkish government has on Wednesday disbursed over Two Million Dalasi through laboratory equipment to The Gambia government to mitigate the groundnut disease of ‘Afrotoxin’.
In addition, the equipment was handed over to the government of The Gambia by the Turkish Ambassador to the country, Ismail Seya Yuceer at the National Food Security Processing and Marketing Corporation (GCCI) Sarro, at the Denton Bridge, Banjul.
Ismail Seya Yuceer, the Turkish ambassador to The Gambia said Turkey is committed to supporting the country always.
“The total cost of this equipment is over 2 million dalasi which is provided by Turkish government,” he said
He added that: “In the near future TIKAs contributions to the Gambia with respective to different projects and field will increase. TIKA has a great responsibility in implementing this project and development.”
The National Food and Security Processing and Marketing Corporation said that efforts are made to medicate the Afrotoxin contamination of groundnut production.
“Groundnut is the main cash crop of the country in which about 70% of the population relies on this production, processing and marketing over the years,” he said.
He said that the groundnuts have been losing trade due to low yield in harvest which could not reach the quality requirement to be exported.
He further said 5000 hectares of land is been provided with ‘afflictive’ which will reduce dangers in groundnuts, and help to increase the economy of the country.
Author: Mariama K. Bojang
