By Assan Bah
On Thursday, November 21, President Adama Barrow visited a groundnut farm in Sinchu Baya, Sami District, to assess firsthand the reports of poor groundnut yields affecting farmers in provincial Gambia.
The farm owner attributed the low yield and poor nut quality to a prolonged drought lasting over a month, which severely impacted the region.
President Barrow explained the purpose of his visit, stating, “Seeing is believing, since the start of the tour, people have been complaining about the low yield of groundnut, and we deemed it important to come and see for ourselves.”
After inspecting the farm, the President acknowledged the extent of the problem.
“We have, beyond reasonable doubt, seen that groundnut has not performed well this season. Groundnut is a cash crop, and this will affect farmers and their families, especially in terms of cash flow and income,” he said.
President Barrow emphasized the need for immediate and long-term interventions to address the challenges faced by farmers:
“This is a lesson for us as a government, and we will conduct investigations to come up with recommendations to support the farmers.”
He highlighted the historical importance of groundnut farming in The Gambia but stressed the urgency of diversifying into other resilient crops to mitigate the risks posed by climate change.
“Going forward, there is a need for policies to address the effects of climate change. We need to grow crops that are resilient and diversify to include other cash crops, such as cashew and others,” he added.
President Barrow also touched on the potential revival of cotton farming, a crop that had been considered by his government in the past but failed to materialize.
“It is a good idea to think about cotton production and other cash crops. Diversification is key for the sustainability of our agricultural sector,” he said.
