The forum was organised by International Relief and Development (IED) in partnership with the USDA funded SeneGambia Cashew Value Chain Enhancement Project, Phase 2.
In a remark, the United States Ambassador, George Staples, expressed delight to be part of such a forum and said it was consistent with the right policies in agriculture.
“I hope this will continue as you all know this can only happen when there is a consistent right policy which is used for best agricultural purposes,” the top diplomat said. “It [cashew production] is an excellent reputation for The Gambia in the world, and I hope you will do everything possible to make sure that you maintain the reputation.”
Staples said there was need for teamwork, as everybody has a role to play in the whole value chain process. He noted that the forum would give the participants the opportunity to discuss the challenges and map out the way forward in the value chain process.
Earlier, the assistant project manager of IRD, Kebba Jassey, said this was the fifth forum they had organised as it is an annual event that IRD organises to meet with the cashew stakeholders, to discuss the cashew marketing season and map out the way forward.
The aim of the forum was to review and assess the performance of the 2014 cashew marketing season in order to identify key successes and challenges; engage the stakeholders in constructive discussion on better strategies for making the 2015 marketing season a success for all; and present and discuss the development of cashew market information system, MIS, and recommendation from the CEP mid-term evaluation.
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