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Momodou
Denmark
11681 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Feb 2008 : 21:39:09
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TWO MONTHS OF GROUNDNUT TRADING
Foroyaa reporters have visited places involved in the groundnut trade and have filed the following reports.
DEPOT MANAGER DISAPPOINTED BY LOW TONNAGE
By Lamin S. Fatty
As the groundnut trade season reaches its climax, a depot manager expressed disappointment over the low tonnage of groundnut sale registered so far. Mr. Baba Camara, depot manager at Basse, in an interview with this reporter at his office, said that the amount of tonnage registered so far is very low compared to what is expected.
According to Mr Camara, his depot purchases nuts from both the north and south banks of the Upper River Region. He said the north registered only 430 tonnes, while the south registered 2113 tonnes, making a total of 2543 tonnes. He said he was expecting up to 15,000 tonnes.
He told this reporter that farmers still have groundnuts but very few are taking their nuts to either the depots or the seccos, due to the fact that they have the belief that they will have a better price when they take their nuts to Senegal or keep them until later. Mr Camara, however, cautioned those farmers that the future can never be predicted, especially with regards to groundnut, which he said can be easily destroyed without proper storage facilities.
This reporter visited Demba Kunda, where farmers were reportedly taking their nuts to Senegal.
In an interview with this reporter, Muhamed Nimaga, who claimed to be a native of Demba Kunda Nyaleng, said groundnut production is so painful that they cannot give their nuts to the traders as charity. He stated that they cannot understand why they can get better prices when they take their nuts to Senegal.
When this reporter visited Numuyel, he was told that better prices are being offered to farmers in Senegal.
According to a secco manager in the area (name withheld), the trade season is already a failure. He told this reporter that almost every day farmers are taking their nuts to Senegal for marketing. He pointed out that he would sit the whole day without seeing a single farmer in his secco. This reporter was told that farmers in both Wuli and Kantora are taking their nuts to Senegal because better prices are being offered there.
Groundnut Trade In Limbo
After Two Months Operation
By Modou Jonga
More than two months after the official date of the commencement of the 2007/2008 groundnut trade season on 10 December, last year, groundnut buying points (seccos) still remain unfunctional in the Sabach Sanjal District of the North Bank Region.
This reporter visited two seccos at Sarakunda and Dibbakunda in the said district. The buying points are still not functioning and there is no prospect of groundnut buying this year. Despite a reported nationwide disbursement of cash to seccos by the Gambia Groundnut Cooperation, the places visited were not functioning and the secco managers were nowhere to be seen.
This reporter caught up with farmers on horse carts loaded with groundnut who were heading to the Senegalese border village of Kerr Nderri for marketing.
Alieu Jobe, Omar Lowe, Saikou Mballow, Ahmed Bah, all of them farmers, told this reporter that they have lost faith in this year’s trade season, especially that after two months they have seen no sign of prospective groundnut buying.
According to these farmers, this development represents yet another bleak picture of the groundnut trade season which poses a nightmare for them. They said the government has failed them and that they have seen no future for groundnut production in the Gambia.
They noted that they have decided to transport their nuts to the Senegalese border village of Kerr Nderri and Daru to be marketed there, hence the failure of the trade season to commence on 31 December, 2007.
They said the cost of transporting their nuts on vehicles to Senegal is expensive as one bag of groundnuts cost D25 to be transported to Kerr Nderry; that they are therefore using horse carts to transport their nuts; that they sold D7000 per tonne and that they are resolved to sell it at a lower prize so as to meet their basic family needs.
The seccos at Bwiam in Foni Kansala and Ndemban in Foni Bintang districts are all not functioning.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issues
Issue No. 19/2008, 13 -14 February 2008
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