By: Kebba AF Touray
As this medium continues monitoring this year’s groundnut market season, it has been reliably informed that buying centers (seccos) at Bansang and Kantora in Central River Region and Upper River Region have commenced purchasing groundnut from farmers respectively.
Omar Dem, a farmer from Bassang, told this medium that the ‘secco’ in their area has commenced operations. He said money is available at the buying centre who are on standby to purchase groundnuts from farmers.
“The price that is offered at the center is th +at a kilo of groundnut is purchased at twenty-eight dalasi (D28.00) and a ton costs twenty-eight thousand (D28, 000). However, presently, farmers are not bringing their nuts in numbers for sale at the said center,” he said in an interview.
Ansu Sonko, a farmer from Kantora, also told this medium that the buying centres, such as Fatoto village, have finished clearing the sites and currently started buying groundnuts from farmers in the area.
“The private buyers (mostly from Senegal) have also started coming to buy nuts from farmers in the area. Last year they (private buyers) were buying a bag of groundnuts at D2000,” he said.
Mr. Arafang Jabbi, a farmer from Wuli Sutukoba, said farmers have not yet gone to the seccos to sell their nuts, even though they have received information that money is available at the buying centers.
“I have witnessed a scenario wherein a woman farmer bought a powdered pesticide, which she will use to mix with her nuts, to protect them against pest infestation and keep her nuts safe. This she told me is because the price is not sufficient for her (woman) and would keep her nuts until such time that the price gets better,” he said.
Jabbi further said he has not heard anyone going to the secco for the purchase of his or her groundnut.
Foroyaa is monitoring developments at the buying centers and would inform its readership accordingly.
