By Assan Bah
As the cropping season nears its final stages, farmers in Brikama Ba, Kerewan Samba Sire, and Pacharr in the Central River Region South (CRR-S) are optimistic about a better yield this year following a disappointing previous season.
Sulayman Bayo of Pacharr said: “Things are promising so far and we are expecting to get a good harvest.” He added, however, that accessing fertilizer remained a challenge, noting that private agents sold it at D1,200 per bag.
Ebrima Mballow of Kerewan Samba Sire also expressed optimism: “There is a big improvement in the way we are receiving rains this year. All the groundnut, maize, and millet crops are promising.” He, too, highlighted the high cost of fertilizer from private agents despite government-set prices.
Mamudu Jallow from Brikama Ba expressed relief over the weather conditions: “Thank God, we received enough rains this year and our crops are germinating very well. With this, we are hopeful that the harvest will be impressive, unlike last year when our groundnut production suffered greatly.”
John Mendy, Agriculture Regional Director for CRR-S, explained that groundnuts, being the main commercial crop for Gambian farmers, faced difficulties last year due to prolonged dry spells during the pegging stage. “When the ground is hard, pegging is interrupted. That was what happened last year, and the groundnut harvest was so poor,” he said.
Mendy expressed confidence in this year’s prospects: “If you go to the fields, you will see that the groundnut is doing very well. The pattern of rains—coming for one, two, three days, then stopping, and then coming again—is exactly what the crops need. Crops like groundnut, maize, and early millet are all doing well. We are anticipating a bumper harvest for all the crops.”
On challenges faced by farmers, Mendy noted that some still struggled to access fertilizer and tractors for ploughing. “No matter how much the government subsidizes it, some smallholder farmers still face difficulties affording fertilizer. Many of them rely entirely on these farms for their livelihoods,” he said.
