By Omar Bah
The Minister of Agriculture, Demba Sabally, has issued a stern warning to presidents of Seasonal Export Cooperative Companies (Seccos), demanding they promptly pay farmers or face legal consequences amid ongoing payment disputes.
The directive comes following a complaint from the Gambia Farmers Union (GFU) who visited the minister at his office on Tuesday.
The farmers complained about Secco presidents withholding payments, often owing large sums after groundnut sales. The shift to digital payments via Wave Gambia aimed to curb these issues by ensuring direct transactions of over 95 Seccos nationwide, but challenges like poor sensitisation, few payout agents, and cash shortages persist.
Speaking during a meeting with officials of the Gambia Farmers Union, the minister made it clear that the government does not owe farmers, placing full responsibility on cooperative leaders.
“The government owes no farmer a single butut. It is the secco presidents who owe farmers and they must pay,” he said.
He warned that any Secco president found withholding farmers’ money will be taken to court.
“The money is not yours. Any Secco president who fails to pay farmers will not go scot-free,” he added.
Minister Sabally said he has already engaged regional authorities, including governors, to ensure that affected farmers are paid without delay.
Meanwhile, the minister announced that government has ordered 25,000 metric tons of chemical fertilizer and about 10,000 tons of organic fertilizer, expected to arrive before the rainy season.
He also disclosed that an embargo has been placed on the importation of potatoes from March 1 to July 1 to protect local farmers and boost production.
Plans are also underway to construct more cold storage facilities to reduce post-harvest losses, with support expected from the private sector.
The ultimatum underscores the government’s priority on agriculture amid economic pressures, with groundnut trade central to food security via the National Food Security, Processing, and Marketing Corporation.
Recent calls, like NFSPMC Managing Director Momodou Njie urging timely payments and transparency, reflect sustained efforts to protect farmers who fuel Gambian exports.
