By Lamin Fatty & Assan Bah
Farmers in The Gambia are facing a deepening crisis as buying at groundnut buying centres, known as seccos, are at a standstill, leaving them with unsold crops and dwindling incomes.
The official trade season was supposed to start on December 2, 2024, but many farmers say that buying did not start in earnest until mid-December. Now, with cash shortages and mounting debts, the lack of flow of cash at seccos has left them in financial limbo.
A Season Seeming to End
“We are deeply concerned about what is happening,” said Kaldou Jallow Sare Demba, a farmer from Wulli East. “It seems like the season is ending while we still have so much to sell. If the government provides cash, we could still sell over 100 tons of groundnuts before the official end of the season.”
Farmers from areas like Dingiring, Gambisara, and Demba Kunda share the same frustration. While groundnuts remain in abundance, a shortage of cash at seccos has made buying impossible.
Cash Shortages and Unpaid Debts
In Niumi, several secco leaders confirmed that buying had stopped after they were instructed not to purchase on credit.
“We stopped buying in February, even though they told us the season would close at the end of March,” said Jully Ndow of Medina Sering Mass CPMS. “Farmers still have their groundnuts, but they can’t sell them.”
Ndow’s secco still owes farmers around 900,000 dalasis ($13,400) despite receiving a partial flout (government-issued funds) a week ago. “They promised to send more money, but we haven’t received anything, and we can’t reach them on the phone.”
Mamud Njie, who runs the secco in Chilla Jurunku, reported a debt of 20 tons of groundnuts, worth 760,000 dalasis ($11,300). “We had to stop credit buying as instructed, but the authorities haven’t addressed the debts we owe farmers,” he said.
At the secco in Kerr Biran, Alagie Kaba Drammeh reported a similar situation. “We have a debt of 17 tons [646,000 dalasis or $9,600], which we already delivered to the GGC depot in Kerewan,” he said. “Farmers are still bringing groundnuts, but we have no funds to buy them.”
Meanwhile, Seedy Njie, a secco president in Bafuloto, said he had returned the remaining funds to his mobile wallet after settling all outstanding payments to farmers.
Government’s Silence Deepens Frustration
Amid growing uncertainty, Abdoulie S. Khan, coordinator and liaison officer of the Federation of Cooperative Societies (FACs), denied reports that the season had officially closed.
“Seccos were not told to stop buying—only to stop buying on credit,” Khan insisted, suggesting that trade had slowed due to logistical inefficiencies rather than an official shutdown.
Khan said one of the main issues was a discrepancy between the weighing equipment at seccos and depots. “If a secco records 10 tons but the depot’s machines register a lower weight, farmers will complain about being underpaid,” he explained. “That’s why CPMSs should buy with government funds, not on credit.”
Some secco leaders reported that they hadn’t received flouts for weeks. Khan said the delays were due to pending updates from QMONEY, the payment processing system.
“The last payment was meant to clear credit purchases,” he said. “We need to update the system before releasing new funds. I was informed that GGC has completed this process, and funds should be available soon.”
For many farmers, these explanations offer little comfort. With groundnut stocks still in hand, debts piling up, and no clear timeline for a resolution, their livelihoods hang in the balance.
“If the cash shortage is resolved, seccos could still buy more groundnuts,” said Musa Kalajula, a farmer from Brifu. “But right now, it’s just a waiting game.”
As frustration grows, farmers are calling for immediate government action. Without government’s intervention, they fear that their incomes will be at serious risk.
