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| kobo |
Posted - 12 Jan 2014 : 20:25:17
1. THE GROUNDNUT TRADE SEASON FREE COMPETITION OR MONOPOLY?
Published on Sunday, 12 January | Written by Ousman Njie
The trade season has been launched and many farmers were told that since they exploited a free market last year to sell their groundnuts at higher prices, they would not get any state support in terms of fertiliser.
Hence, many farms are reported to have produced groundnuts of poorer quality because of the inadequacy of the fertiliser that has been utilised. In addition to this, those who have good yields are also told that they will not be able to benefit from free competition in selling their nuts to the buyer that could offer the highest prices because of restriction imposed on the private buyers.
Foroyaa is monitoring the impact that this restriction is having on the trade season and would continue to report our findings accordingly.
The danger is that if the prices offered this year are to fall short of what the private buyers offered last year many farmers may hoard their nuts and sell them at the weekly markets which could ultimately find their way across the border.
The trade season is still hanging on the balance and we hope the government is on the alert and would re-examine its policy at the right time to save the season.
Foroyaa Editorial
2. Am follower and circle of friends with technocrat Sidi Sanneh who wrote this article that is shared in this topic with courtesy, in his opinion and analysis for;
Disaster awaits the 2014 groundnut season |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| kobo |
Posted - 15 Feb 2014 : 19:47:04
FARMERS HOLD THEIR NUTS AS CREDIT BUYING PREVAILS
Published on Saturday, 15 February 2014 | Written by Abdoulie G. Dibba
Farmers in North Bank Region, Lower River Region and Central River Region informed this reporter that they are holding their groundnuts since the perennial problem of credit buying has started again in their respective Seccos (Buying points) Credit buying is said to be one of the main factors responsible for the decline in production of groundnut in the Gambia.
According to the farmers who spoke to this reporter said they took their groundnut to their respective Seccos (Noo Kunda, Kwinella and Njau just to name but a few) and after screening their nuts, they were told by the Seccos Management that they had run out of cash and were expecting cash very soon.
However, the farmers said, anytime there is money, the list of farmers whose groundnuts were purchased on credit would never exhaust and they would be told that money is exhausted. The farmers asserted that they are now holding their groundnut for fear of credit buying as the bad experiences are still fresh in their memories.
They call on the operators in the groundnut sector to come to their aid so that by the end of the trade season they would not lose their money.
When contacted, a president who prefers anonymity for fear of being earmarked informed this reporter that almost all the secco presidents pre-financed by the GGC are at Saaro waiting for payment from the GGC since on Monday the 10th of February 2014.
“We are asked not to talk to the press, if we are not financed” says secco presidents. This reporter waited for the GGC radio programme at West Coast to clarify matters but unfortunately to his surprise there was no radio programme on Tuesday.
Source: Foroyaa Burning Issues News |
| kobo |
Posted - 29 Jan 2014 : 22:36:59
1. GROUNDNUT BUYING IN FULL GEAR IN URR, BUT FARMERS EXPRESS DISSAPOINTMENT OVER THE PRICE
Published on Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Groundnut buying has started in most of the groundnut buying points (seccos) in the Upper River Region (URR) since January 2014, but farmers expressed their total disappointment over the price offered to them. This reporter visited Jaka Madina, a groundnut buying point, in the Wuli West District which was in full operations.
Alieu Manneh, a secco manager at Jaka Madina, said his company has been permitted after fulfilling all the eligibility criteria to participate in the 2013-2014 groundnut marketing season. He recalled that last year, his company has provided over 450 bags of fertilizers which was about D222, 500 to the farmers in both Wuli East and Wuli West as a loan.
This, according to Mr. Manneh, is what is motivating most of the farmers to patronize his company. However, this reporter was told that the license of Madina Enterprise has been seized. When this reporter visited the said groundnut buying point, he found that business was at a standstill and the manager was said to have travelled to Basse.
Efforts to reach the manager on his cell phone were unsuccessful. In Briffu in the Wuli West District, buying is in progress. Fusainey Darboe, Secco president, said they have started buying on the 9th January and that bags are weighing from 50-60kg. He said they are buying a kilo of groundnut at D 15.25 and a ton at D 15, 250. He pointed out that the price compared to last year is favorable, but if farmers are offered more than that they will appreciat it. Kaddy Bah, GGC Secco manager at Wuli Briffu, told this reporter that they have enough cash and therefore called on farmers to respond to GGC.
In Jah kunda, buying is in progress but this reporter was told that the cash got finished since last week. Speaking to this reporter, Mr. Cham, a Secco manager in Kundam Mafatty in Tumana District, said they have enough cash, but farmers according to him are not responding as expected. Mr Mawdo Jatta of the Wuli Agency for Development (WAD) said the members of his agency have met and discussed and that they will soon start buying in their strategic buying points in Chamoi Bunda, Sutukonding and Sutukoba.
In Sabi, Mr. Edrisa Cham, Basirou Jallow and Mbemba Drammeh, who are buying on behalf of a private company called ‘Kompeh’, all expressed similar concerns and urged the farmers to take their nuts to the seccos.....
Source: Foroyaa
2. Disaster coordinator: Fire outbreaks account for 70% of disasters in URR
Published on Tuesday, 28 January 2014
The regional disaster coordinator in the Upper River Region (URR) has disclosed that fire outbreaks accounted for 70% of the disasters in URR. He said due to frequent fire outbreaks, they are planning to develop a regional fire policy that would address the alarming rate of fire incidents in the region.
Source: Daily Observer News & more full report |
| kobo |
Posted - 25 Jan 2014 : 12:56:43
Sharing good information, sound proper analysis from a friend's blogspot who always helps makes us understand the issues, policies and dynamics at play from the following:
1. Fool me once
The euphoric and celebratory editorial of the Daily Observer of today, about the increase of the 2014 producer price of groundnut (peanuts) is further confirmation, if one was ever needed, of the government's approach to public policy, in general, and the agriculture sector policy in particular.
As like most things this government is involved in, public policy is short-term designed to produce instant gratification for the beneficiary and political gain for the regime. It must also be visible for propaganda purposes even if the policy will end up, as it will most certainly always does, in total disaster.
There are many examples of shenanigans and propaganda ploys in the 20-year history of the Jammeh regime, too numerous to enumerate but we will attempt to remind our readers of a few. The producer price is open to such manipulation for propaganda purposes. It is, no doubt, an important factor in the scheme of things because it provides an enhanced income to the farmer, but it is only one tool out of many in the tool box. ....
By Sidi Sanneh
Source: Sidi Sanneh Blogspot and more information
2. The Gambian farmer is absent from the debate
There has been more political posturing by politicians and activists, and little of anything else, including the articulation of policy in a transitional setting. Even more disheartening, in my view, is the total absence of the representation of the single most important interest group in the entire process - the Gambian farmer.....
By Sidi Sanneh
Source: Sidi Sanneh Blogspot |
| kobo |
Posted - 25 Jan 2014 : 05:26:57
Inferno destroys 50 tonnes of groundnut, others in URR
Friday, January 25, 2014
A total of 50 tonnes of groundnut and other farm produce, recently harvested, were burnt to ashes early Wednesday morning as a result of an inferno that razed two compounds in the Madina Saho village, Wuli East district, Upper River Region (URR).
The Daily Observer learnt yesterday that the fire that was believed to have emanated from an Islamic school in the neighbourhood, also consumed coos, maize and some livestock. .......
Source: Daily Observer News & full report |
| kobo |
Posted - 21 Jan 2014 : 20:16:23
INCREASED PRODUCER PRICE DELIGHTS GAMBIAN FARMERS
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Farmers across The Gambia have been reacting positvely to the recent decision by the government to increase the producer price for groundnuts from 14, 500 to D15, 250 per ton.
Farmers in the Upper River Region (URR) said the decision was a mark of honour and recognition by government for the hard work that they endured during the cropping season.......
Source: Daily Observer News & full report |
| kobo |
Posted - 21 Jan 2014 : 06:33:38
CREDIT BUYING IN KOLI KUNDA SECCO
Published on Saturday, 18 January 2014 | Written by Abdoulie G. Dibba
Information reaching this reporter from farmers in the northern part of the Central River Region (CRR) has revealed that the perennial problem of credit buying of groundnuts which is one of the factors responsible for the decline in the production of groundnut in the Gambia has started again in the Koli Kunda Secco (Buying point). According to the farmers, when they took their groundnut to the Koli Kunda Secco in the first week of January 2014 and after the screening of the nuts, they were told by the Secco Management that they had ran out of cash and are expecting replenishment very soon. “To our utter disappointment, we heard that there was money in the Secco on Monday (12th of January) but when we went there, we were told that the money was finished,” said one of the farmers.
The farmers are expressing their fear of a return of credit buying which, they said, comes with horrid experiences and unpleasant memories. They therefore called on the Gambia Groundnut Corporation (GGC), which is the sole operator in the groundnut sector, to come to their aid in order to avoid making them losers by the end of the trade season.
When contacted by this reporter on the issue of credit buying, the President of the Secco, Abdou Nyang, confirmed the credit buying of nuts, but added that the farmers were not forced to sell their groundnuts on credit. He explained that when the farmers brought their groundnut to the Secco, they were told that there was no cash and they decided to weigh their groundnuts in anticipation of getting their money when cash is available.
However, Nyang revealed that he came to the GGC office at Saroo and was given cash worth 20 tons which he paid out to those who left their groundnuts with them on credit on Monday and that this money got finished. “But I am told that the team of Secco financiers has left Saroo and would hopefully arrive today,” he said.
Source: Foroyaa Burning Issues News |
| kobo |
Posted - 12 Jan 2014 : 23:47:47
Cross- border sale of nuts – a real possibility
Published on Saturday, 28 December 2013 | Written by Suwaibou Touray & Sarjo Camara Singateh
Farmers in Sutukoba in the Wuli East district of the Upper River Region have called Foroyaa to indicate that “Seccos” or buying Centers for groundnuts in the area have still not been opened. Asked which “seccos” in their area are still not opened, they said as far as they know, the “seccos” at Brifu, Sutukoba and Baja Kunda are still unoperational. Asked whether the “seccos” across the border have been operating, they said all the “seccos” they know accross the border have been operating for the past two weeks.
According to them, they were waiting to see the prices offered by their own “seccos” before they go to Senegal, but they are still not opened. According to Mr. Jawneh, a farmer, at Sutukoba, a foreign private buyer has briefly commenced buying of nuts in the area at what they consider to be a reasonable price, but has abruptly reduced his price downwards.
Asked how much the private buyer initially offered, they said he offered D800 per bag. Asked how much he is offering now after his reduction of price, they said he is now offering only D700.
According to Mr. Lasana Jawneh, farmers were considering selling their nuts to the private buyer at D800 per bag considering the time, effort and cost of transportation to Senegal.
Asked about the cost of transporting a bag of groundnut to a “secco” in Senegal, he said cart owners are charging D40 per bag. Asked how much is being offered for a bag of nuts across the border, he said the heaviest nuts would earn over D1000. He added that many earn between D860 and D1000 per bag.
Asked how they intend to handle the situation, Lansana indicated that since the “seccos” in their areas are still not operating and the private buyer has reduced his price, they are left with no other option but to transport their nuts to Senegal.
Asked whether they would not consider selling their nuts to the private buyer at his price of D700, he said many are not ready to do that. He then asked what the world market price for groundnut for this year is, he was told that Foroyaa is finding out the answer.
However, before we go to Press, our reporter visited the Foday Kunda “secco” in the Wuli East district and said buying has commenced at the said “secco”. She said the secco is offering D16.25 for a kilogram of G/nuts, 60kgs for D915 and D16,250 for a metric tonne of nuts.
Asked whether it is a private buyer, she said in the affirmative and said the farmers indicated that one Hammeh Jabou is the private buyer.
Foroyaa Burning Issues News |
| kobo |
Posted - 12 Jan 2014 : 23:41:47
1. Daily Observer News;
2. GGC OFFERS D15,250 PER TONNE FARM-GATE PRICE
Published Saturday, 28 December 2013 | Written by Abdoulie G. Dibba
Mr Gambi Jack, the Administration and Human Resources Manager for GGC, who also doubles as the Public Relation Officer of the institution, has disclosed that his institution would offer a minimum farm-gate price of D15,250 or a maximum price of D16,500 per ton to farmers who transport their groundnuts to their respective depots.
He made this disclosure on Monday, 23 December, 2013 at the GGC head office at Denton Bridge. Following the announcement of the ASPA farm-gate groundnut producer price for 2013/2014 at D14,500 (fourteen thousand five hundred dalasi) per tonne, this reporter approached operators to find out the prices they are offering farmers vis a vis the world market price for groundnut this year.
Mr. Jack, however, referred this paper to an earlier interview he had with a local newspaper where he indicated that GGC had decided to revise the minimum producer price upwards to D15,250 adding; that farmers who transport their produce to GGC depots would get D16,500 per ton. Regarding the projected tonnage of groundnut to be purchased by his institution, the GGC Administration and Human Resources Manager said theyintend to purchase 40,000 metric tonnes of groundnut this year.
He suggested that they can have an interview with this paper after the Christmas feast as he was presently busy. Foroyaa anticipates that in a subsequent interview, Mr Jack will state how many Cooperative Primary Marketing Societies have been pre-financed by the GGC and what the World Market Price for groundnuts is this year.
Foroyaa Burning Issues News |
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