By Oumie Mendy
Falalo Touray, the board chairman of the Gambia Groundnut Corporation, has explained that getting fertilizer for this year’s farming season was challenging considering that countries in which fertilizer is produced are currently at war.
Touray made these remarks at a meeting with groundnut, cashew and cereal value chain stakeholders in Jenoi, Lower River Region.
The meeting, which ended in controversy, also heard discussions on modalities of the distribution of fertilizer and to ensure that it is well-coordinated following a dismal distribution mechanism last year.
“Due to the sanctions imposed on Russia which ban countries from trading with them hinders a lot of countries from importing. We moved faster and procured fertilizer well before the war started. Last year, the government procured lots of fertilizer that was estimated to serve farmers for two years but unfortunately, the fertilizer was distorted by agents that were trusted with it and sold it beyond Gambian borders,” Touray told farmers.
The Gambia Groundnut Corporation informed farmers that a bag of fertilizer this year will cost D2500 compared to D700 last year.
Chief Yaya Jarju Sey of Soma called on the authorities to ensure the distribution of fertilizer to farmers is left to the seccos instead of agents.
“For the previous years the distribution of fertilizer to farmers had been left in our hands and since then fertilizer distortion has not happened. It is because last year fertilizer was given to people that were misusing public funds in the former regime and were removed from the position, and since this government came to power, they smuggled themselves back and started their misconduct again,” Chief Jarju Sey said.
Meanwhile, GGC agreed on leaving the fertilizer distribution for this rainy season to the local distributors.
