United Purpose UP formerly known as Concern Universal last Thursday concluded a four days national wide regional orientation and launching of the market Price Information System.
The orientation was done in collaboration with UP regional NGO partners namely TARUD in WCR, NATC in NBR, WIG in CRR-North, WASDA in URR, AVISU in CRR-South, and FFHC in LRR. This system is a NEMA Chosso Funded project with the objective to enable vegetable producers (largely women) to have regular market price information for better planning and selling of their vegetables.
The is also the first ever voice base market Price information system in The Gambia introduced by United Purpose with funding from Nema chosso. The Theme of this project; sustainable Market Price Information System for Horticultural producers in The Gambia.
The purpose of the regional orientation was to guide the horticultural producers on the importance of the market price system and how they can use it.
During various meeting the UP officials and Agricultural extension and the local; UP partners guide the farmers on the use of the system.
Speaking at Jara Madina, Joseph Gomez project manager explained that this system is mainly for horticulture producers largely women on the use of market information system which is intended to support them to have first hands information on the market prices from selected markets/lumo. He said among the selected markets/lumo are Serrekunda market, Brikama market, Basse market, Sare Ngai market, Brikamaba, Bansang market, Wassu market, Ker Pateh market, Farafenni market and Bureng market. He went on to say that farmers can listen to the prices of the various markets in either Wollof or Mandinka or English language.
According to Joseph Gomez , this system came into been as a result of request made from the farmers that they need it.The aim was for them to be able to know the market prices to help them in the selling of their vegetables.
For his part Mr. Alpha Khan executive Director Freedom from hunger campaign FFHC expressed delighted to UP for coming up with this laudable initiatives in bid to help women vegetable growers to determine the price markets price system . He described this system as a step in the right direction, in the sense that women have been suffering from the middle men buyers who always come to buy their produces at a very cheaper prices later sell it a double price. He said therefore, coming up with this project will greatly help them to avoid been exploited by middle men.
He said the aim of this project is to help the women vegetable growers to be quite independent to which they can take decision to their produces that will increase their incomes as women are very supportive to their families. He also said they have already identify somebody who will be collecting market information almost at no cost. He said the person will go to the market/lumo and collect data from the vendors and this is the person who will send the price information to the system. He said they do hope that at the end of the project the market women federation will be able to soldier that and sustain the project. I am very impress about the women participation in this exercise toward the project.
Speaker after speaker specially the beneficiaries all express appreciation about this system and described this project as long overdue and assured UP and it local partners that they will ensure to utilse the project at their domin.
