Did we not warn Gambians that oil and water cannot mix? Is this what we call reconciliation?! The APRC tour should have been called FACT FINDING mission!
Now the reality is oozing from the hidden veins of truth! Is the country not boiling within? Tell me!

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Farmers lament slow trade season
Churchill Baldeh
By Madi Njie
Jan 28, 2005, 08:49

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Hon Churchill Falai Baldeh, majority leader of the National Assembly, has decried the unsatisfactory state of the groundnut trade season, describing it as contrary to government’s expectations.

In an interview with the Daily Observer in his office, Hon Baldeh said Gamco, the only company qualified to buy groundnut this year, was not doing well, and the situation was getting out of hand, needing urgent attention as farmers were complaining. Hon Baldeh suggested that there was a need for other players to be allowed to purchase groundnut as a mean of addressing the plight of the farmers.

”The strategy put in place had emphasised that whoever was going to the groundnut trade must go with cash that is equivalent to the tonnage that he wants to buy, and at that time we had information that it was only Gamco that met those guidelines and since this agreement was made by the secretary of state in consultation with cabinet, our own government, there was no doubt it would work,’’ he said.

“But even during the recent tour of the secretary of state, we received information from all over the country that the trade season was progressing very slowly and there were fears that things could reach a crisis point where the groundnuts would not all be bought, or they would have been infested with insects. It could also take a long process leading farmers to complain against the government instead of the buyers, as the average farmer cannot distinguish between private enterprises and government. They would associate every action with government”, Hon Baldeh stated.

He further stated that as at now, thousands of tonnes of groundnuts were unpaid for at various groundnut selling points allowing smuggling to neighbouring Senegal, which was a great loss to the country in terms of foreign exchange.

“This could have been averted if other companies who are willing were allowed to participate.”
According to Hon Baldeh, hundreds of farmers walk to the National Assembly on daily basis to complain about the state of the groundnut trade. “As representatives of the people, we made several attempts to meet the secretary of state but have not yet been successful in meeting him,’’ he said
He finally called for a speedy intervention to assist farmers who had only groundnut as their main source of income.

DoSA’s reaction

The Secretary of State For Agriculture could not be reached for comments, but Ebrima Sonko, focal person for the groundnut trade season, department of State For Agriculture, when contacted could not confirm whether there was credit buying going on because as he said, the reports in his possession did not indicate such, but pointed out that the Regulatory Framework required that there should not be any credit buying.

He siad Gamco was the only qualified buyer because they satisfied the required criteria set up in the framework. He however admitted that delay was being experienced in the areas of delivery reporting, and indicated that, that has now been taken care of, adding that he could not call the process perfect, but things were going on smoothly.
He confirmed having met Hon Churchill Baldeh, who wanted to meet the SoS but could not, and he explained to him (Hon Baldeh) the whole scenario on the ground and as a follow up to the developments on the ground, he would be going on a trek today to assess the situation.

He insisted that Premier Agro Oil was not qualified as they had no money and did not meet the criteria set in the framework.

© Copyright 2003 by Observer Company

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