By Madiba Singhateh
The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday, 28 November 2024, held a B2B networking event to foster partnership between producers and buyers of rice, maize poultry, horticulture, and cashew production through the GIRAV value chain project.
Speaking at the partnership meeting, the CEO of GCCI, Sarata Conateh, said the B2B session is part of the key priorities of the GCCI that seeks to provide and link producers and buyers together.
“Market access is another objective of the CGGI, but before any market, there should be a connection. Sometimes connection is forged to further business relationships for diversification. Connection is also forged for stronger partnerships. It is after this that one can talk about markets which are about buyers and sellers. That is the end goal. But one needs to build and create bigger and better relationships first before one can have more sustainable access to markets. That is what B2B is all about,” she said.
Conateh said GCCI has been providing this opportunity and is very much honoured to continue on the same path with the GIRAV Project.
This is the third year GIRAV is doing extensive work in providing support for the agricultural sector.
Speaking at the event, Momodou Salieu Sowe of the GIRAV project was appreciative of seeing their beneficiaries, meeting buyers for their products.
He said GIRAV is funded by both the World Bank and The Government of The Gambia, and that the project consists of three interlinked technical components to address the key binding constraints for the development of agriculture and the business sector.
“First is the increase in the business environment for commercial agricultural development and the second is the building of a productive, climate-resilient agro-food system and to mobilise investment along the value chain. Those were the matching grants we discussed with you the SMEs,” he said.
He said one of the components is to support an enabling environment that can foster competitive and sustainable development of commercial agriculture or the agribusiness sector in the Gambia, noting that to do this; they have to strengthen the capacity of the key organisations engaged in agro-food value chains to improve market access
“Under component one, the project aims to strengthen the capacity of the GCCI in the mobilization, facilitation, and monitoring of private investment in agriculture and agribusiness. Additionally, it will also strengthen the GCCI’s capacity building program on financing for GCCI staff in governance, organisation, communication, and other targeted areas,” he said.
TONG Zhong, Economic and Commercial Counsellor at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of The Gambia, and Musa Sowe of NACOFAG spoke on the occasion. Both expressed appreciation for the connection between buyers and sellers in the sector.
