Farmers earn income annually. They spend over six months on farm production, pest control and sale between May and December. In many instances they have to incur debts to be able to survive during lean months. Some even borrow to buy seeds, fertilizer and farm implements.
A proper study would show that Gambian farmers are the most indebted in The Gambia. Hence the cash they receive annually should not be subjected to delay if their hardship should increase to unbearable level.
Over the years farmers had suffered, being given promissory notes for their crops instead of receiving cash. Many farmers died with their promissory notes after secco managers and individual licensed buying agents absconded after receiving the nuts and getting the cash from the then GPMB and now NFSPMC (formerly GGC). The 2023/2024 trade season appeared to be the last straw that broke the camel’s back. D40 million is said to have been lost during operation.
Now a new system is being tested characterised by the issuing of a slip to the farmer after weighing his or her nuts by the secco manager. The slip is then presented to a Qmoney agent to facilitate the registration of the payment in his or her account and the payment of cash without any deduction or delay.
Foroyaa is informed that 96 seccos are targeted for the buying of nuts for the 2024/2025 trade season. Foroyaa has also reliably learnt from QMoney that they have deployed 500 agents to ensure that farmers whose nuts are weighed receive their monies without delay or deduction. Foroyaa will monitor how things are operating on the ground and report accordingly.
