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Momodou
Denmark
11728 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Feb 2008 : 19:40:44
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Groundnut Trade Season Declared A Total Failure
By Fabakary B. Ceesay
This year’s groundnut trade season could be described as a total failure and a big blow to Gambian farmers who were expecting a booming trade season as announced by the Gambia Groundnut Corporation. As announced, the official groundnut trade season had stared on the 10th December, 2007. Since then many buying points are yet to operate.
After almost two months since the official commencement of the trade season, Foroyaa visited depots along the Central River and North Bank Regions to assess the situation of the ground.
On Saturday 16 February, this reporter visited the Kuntaur and Kaur depots, as well as some “seccos” in the area. Messrs Ousainou Drammeh and Bakary Sanyang, ,depot managers at Kuntaur and Kaur, respectively, both declined to comment on the trade season. Both said that they were informed from the top that they are not obliged to talk to the press about the trade season; that anything about the season should be tabled at their headquarters with the General Manager. They said that they were given strict warning not to comment on the groundnut trade.
The Kuntaur depot was empty and that no sign of any groundnut buying activity was taking place there. All the six warehouses were as empty as they were in December 2007. The depot was completely abandoned. This reporter observed that one part of the depots has even been transformed into a football pitch by little boys.
The Kaur depot was somehow busy with groundnut buying activities and that truck wheel marks could be spotted around the depot. There were groundnut shells scattered around the scale at the depot. However, the warehouses were all locked but foot prints could be seen around the stores. The secco at Kaur has been transformed into a groundnut decorticating centre. Dozens of farmers were seen at the centre trying to decorticate their groundnuts. A farmer told me that he decided to decorticate his groundnut to enable him to sell it at weekly markets (“lumoo”), which, according to him, is more profitable. He registered his disappointment with the season.
The Wassu secco was as empty as it was in December, last year, when this reporter visited the place.
There was a groundnut selling point at a small village called Fass in Upper Saloum, where three lorries were seen loading groundnuts for transportation. I was told that the buying centre belongs to a private businessman. There was no buying at Panchang and Njaw seccos as both were empty. At Ballanghar Ker Nderi, the seeco was found isolated. Some Ballanghar farmers told me that they have decided to sell their produce to Senegalese traders which is more profitable than selling in The Gambia. They said that they have been patiently waiting for their seccos to operate but to no avail. The farmers said that the unoperational seccos also contributed to their decision to turn to the Senegalese market.
Both depots at Kerewan and Barra were empty and as quiet as a grave yard. No activity could be spotted, not even a single person could be seen to make enquiries and that most of the equipment at these depots were rusting beyond.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issues
Issue No. 21/2008, 20 – 21 February 2008
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