Amie Fabureh, Minister of Agriculture has said that The Gambia started buying groundnut from farmers earlier than Senegal and the government price per ton is D18,000.00(Eighteen Thousand Dalasi), revealing that Senegalese government is buying for D17,000.00 (Seventeen Thousand Dalasi) per ton.
“So is not true that Senegal offers better price,” she told villagers of Pakau Njoggu Upper Nuimi District North Bank Region Saturday at a presentation of rice trashing machine, coos milling machine and a power tiller to the villagers meant to address the daily suffering of the women of the area to support their house needs.
According to her, the involvement of private buyers in the Senegalese market who are directly dealing with farmers also takes the advantage to explored the liberal market system of The Gambia, pointing that government have no moral obligation to force farmers where and who to sell their groundnuts to.
“The Gambia is a liberal market; people are free to sell their products to whoever they want and they are free to do so. Government cannot force anyone where or who to sell their nuts to, it is a matter of choice,” Minister Fabureh told farmers in Pakau Njoggu.
She added: “If Gambian farmers choose to sell their nuts to the highest buyers that is their choice but what is important is these are Gambian farmers if they have money from the sales of their groundnut that money will stay in the country here to help our economy.”
She said these private buyers flooding in Senegal with lot of money from China are collaborating with Senegalese citizens who serve as middlemen in the business, arguing that it is high time for Gambian entrepreneurs to explore the same opportunities just as Senegalese.
“I think our businessmen should start doing the same thing as the Senegalese are doing to get into the business by establishing partnership with private buyers. The presence of private buyers with the requisite capital to get into the market will go a long way in adding value to what the government is doing, it will help to create a competitive market and alternatives for Gambian farmers in selling their nuts within the country,” Fabureh encourages local entrepreneurs.
She argued that government of the Gambia could have put an embargo on the sale of groundnut outside the country but this may lead to creating difficulties for farmers, adding that the government of the Gambia will continue to support farmers with all the necessary support to boosting farming in the country thus creating employment and wealth for the citizenry.
