By Bakary Touray Jr.
Farmers in the rural Gambia have called on the Barrow-Government to ensure timely provision of cash, in order to facilitate the purchase of their groundnuts in the upcoming trade season.
They opined this in an interview with Mansa Banko Online on Saturday 5th October 2019, as plans are afoot for the harvest season.
This, as alluded to by the farmers, would help them to ‘harvest the fruits of their farming aspirations’, as they rely greatly on the sales from their produce for the sustenance of their families, in the areas of feeding, clothing, health and school fees for their children.
Mr. Sedia Bah, a farmer from Sare Modou, in Wuli East, said the dry spells at the onset of the rainy season have threatened his production, but he was quick to clarify that the rains after the dry spells have restored his confidence of a better harvest.
Mr. Lamin Kejara, another farmer in Wuli West said: “We encountered delay during our last year’s sale of our groundnuts. I appeal to the government to devise means of averting recurrence.This is my livelihood which I depend on to fend for my family”.
Mr. Lang Marong of Njaba Kunda in NBR, also expressed concerns over the low price of groundnut that was offered to them last year. He said the government should make sure that the price of the groundnut should be attractive, so that they can help their families and enhance farmers’ production crusade.
A farmer in Niamina West village of Choya, Mr. Alagie Sowe, remarked:”I urge the stakeholders to help protect our small ruminants from theft by bandits. This thwarts our efforts in animal husbandry; and this is central in agricultural production as well as the attainment of food self-sufficiency”.
