Groundnut constitutes the main cash crop of the country. According to the minister of finance, its production is expected to decline this season because of the unseasonal rain. This however is just one side of the coin. The critical issue at this very moment is the actual purchasing of what has been produced so that it will feature in the export earnings of the country.
Purchasing groundnuts is not an ordinary exercise. It involves substantial deals. It also provides the basis for value addition through the production of groundnut oil, groundnut cake and groundnut shell.
Since the collapse of the GPMB and its sale, the industry has not functioned in accordance with its potential. Three years is about to elapse under the current administration without a marketing strategy that would lead to the expansion of the processing of the crop to ensure an expansion in employment and foreign exchange earnings.
Foroyaa is putting Farmers’ Eye on the trail of purchasers of groundnuts so that the true state of the trade season will be communicated to our readers. We hope the ministries of agriculture, trade and finance are working together to do an impact assessment of the state of cash crop production in The Gambia, the trade and macro-economic implications.
