By Assan Bah
With a poor groundnut harvest recorded during the previous cropping season, the Gambia Government through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security promised to support farmers across the country with groundnut seeds.
During a question-and-answer session in the National Assembly’s second ordinary session in July, the Minister informed lawmakers that the government, through the Gambia Agriculture and Food Security Project, had procured over 50 metric tonnes of groundnut seeds for distribution to farmers. This move came amid growing concern over declining groundnut yields.
However, findings by Foroyaa revealed that, out of more than thirteen districts visited, only two communities confirmed receiving groundnut seeds from the government. In most of the other districts, farmers said they received only maize or rice seeds — and in some cases, nothing at all. Others reported not hearing about the groundnut seed support at all.
In an earlier interview with the Minister of Agriculture in March, he acknowledged that groundnut production for the 2023–2024 season had dropped by 14 percent. He noted that the Ministry had developed plans to provide farmers with high-yielding, climate-smart groundnut seeds for the coming season. He also clarified that this initiative would not reach all farmers in the first year as the Ministry’s goal is to phase out the old seed variety gradually.
Farmers from communities including Touba Angalleh, Ndungu Kebbeh, Medina Sering Mass, and Fass Ngaaga Choi in Lower Niumi District, North Bank Region, expressed frustration over high prices of groundnut seeds. They said they did not receive the promised support and could not afford to buy seeds themselves. Many said they cleared their farmlands based on assurances that government support was forthcoming, but are now abandoning their plots or leasing them out due to lack of seeds.
Mustapha Joof from Fass Ngaaga Choi explained that he was asked to submit a list of ten farmers who needed groundnut seed support. “I was asked to identify ten farmers who cannot afford groundnut seeds for the support, which I did and submitted the list, but none of these farmers got the support,” he said. He added that seed availability remains the most pressing challenge for the current cropping season.
Some farmers mentioned that they were later invited to collect maize seeds, but declined because they had either already planted or were not interested in maize.
In Upper Niumi District, farmers from Kerr Biran Kanyi, Passy Chally, Fass Omar Saho, and Pakau Ngoogu said they had neither seen nor heard of any distribution of groundnut seeds in their area. Mamud Njie from Passy Chally said the only farmer he knew to have received seed support in his village got it from ActionAid. Abdou Aziz Secka of Pakau Ngoogu said some farmers in his community received maize and rice seeds, but no groundnut seeds.
In Jokadou District, farmers from Kerr Alagie Karu and Kuntaya also reported only receiving maize and rice seeds. A similar story came from Illiassa, where farmers confirmed maize seed distribution but could not confirm receiving groundnut seeds. In Kerewan, a farmer named Ba Foday said at least six farmers were given groundnut seeds by the government.
In the Sabach Sanjal District, farmers from Ngayen Sanjal and Sabach Ngayen said they received only maize seeds, not groundnut.
Farmers in the Central River Region from villages such as Lebba, Sami Pachonki, Chamen Nianija, Jarreng, Kudang, Bansang, and Batty Ndaar also reported no receipt or knowledge of groundnut seed support. However, they noted that some maize and rice seeds were distributed. Ebrima Mbye, a farmer in Batty Ndaar, explained that poor rainfall had already affected the limited groundnut seeds they planted. “Some of the seeds could not germinate, and they are now getting destroyed. We have nowhere else to get other groundnut seeds,” he lamented.
Mr Sarrah Nyiass from Mamud Fanna in Central River Region South, however, confirmed that some farmers in his community and surrounding areas did receive groundnut and maize seeds from the government.
Farmers such as Musa Fofana from Jarra Dasilami, Dodou Barrow of Kiang Jifarong in Lower River Region, and a farmer in Ddemban in West Coast Region, confirmed receiving maize and rice seeds. However, they also noted the absence of groundnut seed support. “Some of us are afraid to sow our groundnut as the rain has not been consistent so far and we have limited seeds,” said a farmer from Jifarong.
Responding to these concerns, Modou SW Sowe, Project Director of the Gambia Agriculture and Food Security Project, stated that the project’s main objective is to improve nutrition security and the income of smallholder farmers, particularly by linking them with the school feeding programme. “Currently, we are feeding about 67,000 school children every day in the country. We link schools with smallholder farmers and support them,” he said.
He explained that the project provided 35 metric tonnes of rice seed, 50 metric tonnes of certified groundnut seed, 20 metric tonnes of maize, and 25 metric tonnes of cowpea. Additional inputs included cassava cuttings, bio-fortified orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, and findi seeds, all chosen for their nutritional value.
According to Mr Sowe, the groundnut seed support covered 400 hectares and benefitted around 800 farmers. He acknowledged, however, that this coverage was not sufficient to meet nationwide demand. “If you look at the country in terms of groundnut production, that is very small. We are doing that to help boost groundnut production, especially as it is needed in the schools for school meals,” he said. He added that the groundnut distribution was done through the Department of Agriculture’s Extension Services.
He also mentioned that the Gambia Agriculture and Food Security Project began in 2022 with 16 million dollars from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program, administered through the African Development Bank, and has since received an additional 12 million dollars to continue until December 2027.
Foroyaa made several attempts to get further clarification from the Ministry of Agriculture regarding the distribution of groundnut seeds, but those efforts were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
