The Gambia has been and is still an oilseed producing country. We are yet to get the figures on this year’s production of groundnuts from the Minister of Agriculture, but we can confirm that 96,152 tons were produced in 1915. That is more than 100 years ago.
It is amazing that the same oil mill visited by the President was previously owned by GOMB that used to produce oil, groundnuts and even briquettes. GOMB/GPMB eventually became bankrupt in the first Republic and was sold. It was later taken over in the second Republic and it is under the Barrow administration.
So far we are informed that there are 96 seccos. By January, most seccos had each bought 100 tonnes of groundnuts amounting to about 10,000 tonnes. The season should end in March and we will report on the total purchase in the 2024/2025 season.
What is clear is that Gambia is capable of producing its own seed and oil, groundnut cake, briquettes, soap, cardboard and numerous other products such as chicken feed and so on and so forth.
The will and innovative capacity is not being stimulated by policy and practice of governments. Why? That is the big question that the people must answer.
