By Mariam Williams
The Agribusiness Services and Producers Association (ASPA), in partnership with the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP), had over the weekend completed their annual three-days buyer-seller meeting for stakeholders in groundnut, Cashew and Cereal Value Chains.
The event was held at Jenoi in Lower River Region (LRR), and its objectives are to sensitize value chain stakeholders on the trend, requirements, potential and opportunities in the agricultural sector, and also create a forum for value chain stakeholders to establish business linkages and partnerships.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the representative of YEP Kebba Secka, stated that the farmers know what is good for them, and that’s why they met to discuss things together.
“Our work is to help the young people to engage into something meaningful and to discourage back way. The reason for us to sponsor the program, is because we know majority depend on farming and they contribute to the improvement of our economic,” he remarked.
Pointing out that 70% Gambians are farmers, the YEP official believes it’s good to gather agric-stakeholders to discuss on issues affecting them, and look at means of improving the farming system.
“We realized that farmers do harvest and directly sell their crops. That’s why we brought someone who will discuss about processing, so that you will be able to sell your crops with good prizes,” YEP’s Kebba Secka told the gathered stakeholders.
Mr. Ousman Sanyang, representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, explained the importance to gather agric-stakeholders of the farming sector, noting that majority of their economy came from groundnut and coos.
He’s hopeful that the meeting would help the stakeholders and the government to recognise each other.
He added that now, they know that there are a lot of groundnuts but not many buyers; “now what we have to do is to discuss way forward in solving it”.
According to him, a lot has changed from the government, saying “we used to import rice and now the government thinks it wise to engage farmers in means of cultivating enough, instead of importing”.
Decks continued:”In 2018-19, we discussed how to transform the agric sector, which included the cooperatives. We know if we want to help the farmers, we must heard their voices and engage them in dialogue for better farming system.”
Chief Alhagie Yaya Jarjusey of Jarra West, also reiterated that they have been doing the meeting for some years. The District head, however, indicated that they used to have some people contributing to the success of the event, but they had passed away. Acknowledging that those people have been doing well, Chief Jarjusey said they (deceased) need prayers.
The Chief described the meeting as important because it involves stakeholders who contribute crucial role in the productive sector of the country’s economy.
He expressed delights to be associated with such a program and thanked the sponsors for the good gesture.
Mr. Pa Gumbo Saine, representing the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, expressed similar sentiment, adding that the school feeding program is almost stopped, but that they have tried to gain D30 million to be implemented.
The meeting is part of efforts to support the groundnut, cashew and cereal sub-sectors, and in support of government’s efforts to dramatically, increase production and marketing of these key crops.
