By Lamin Fatty
Farmers in the Upper River Region (URR) of the Gambia have expressed concern about the re-emergence of cashing out challenges at Seccos within the Region, after selling their groundnuts.
One of the farmers who spoke to Foroyaa confirmed selling groundnuts at the Seccos (government buying points) within their communities, but could not cash out the money sent to their phones because they have no Qmoney agents to turn to as experienced at the beginning of the trade season.
Omar Drammeh, the Kundam Secco president sheds light on the lamentation of the farmers, saying work at his Secco has slowed down because QMoney agents no longer come to his Secco to help farmers cash out their monies.
“Many farmers are complaining to me because after I transfer their monies into their phones, they always complain that they cannot cash it out even at the AGIB Bank. All those who went to AGIB to cash out their money came back unsuccessfully and according to them, the Bank indicates that there is no money,” he said.
Duguneh Fofana, another Secco president in Baja Kunda said the re-emergence of the cashing out challenge has hampered the progress of the trade season at his Secco as several farmers who sold their groundnuts at his Secco could not cash out their monies.
“Now farmers monitor the presence of Qmoney Agents at my Secco before they bring their groundnuts for sale, because all those who brought their groundnuts lately, cannot cash out their monies,” he said.
When contacted to shed light on the current realities, a representative of the management of the National Food Security Processing and Marketing Cooperation (NFSPMC) alias former GGC, Mr. Lamin Sanyang confirmed this challenge and promised that it will be resolved before tomorrow, Tuesday 18th February, 2025.
“We just received news of this cashing out challenge last Friday and a team will be certainly dispatched on Monday to all those areas that have these difficulties, and I can assure you that the fund is available, but only the cashing out is the problem because those who sold their groundnuts have their monies in their phones,” DMD Sanyang confirmed to this reporter.
Meanwhile, the issue of the machinery breakdown that halted the evacuation of groundnuts has been resolved as one of the faulty machines is up and working at the Basse NFSPMC depot. The long queue of loaded vehicles has all discharged their cargo, but the evacuation now continues at a slower pace, because only one machine is running.
