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Gambia: Two Months of Groundnut Trading
Gambia The
Sunday 17 February 2008
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.
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.
