The Gambia Groundnut Corporation (GCC) will spend over D370 million to buy farmers' nut in this year's trade season. This was disclosed by GCC managing director, Tony Carlvalho on Wednesday, as the official 2010/2011-groundnut trade season begins today.

The GGC boss who was speaking during an interview with this reporter at the Corporation’s headquarters at Saro, Banjul, also disclosed that his institution will buy at least 40,000 metric tons of groundnuts this trade season. He remarked that his institution, which is responsible for the buying and marketing of farmers' groundnuts in the country, is ready for this year's season.

MD Carlvalho further disclosed that the Corporation would be operating 83 Cooperative Produce Marketing Societies [CPMS] throughout the country, thus indicating an increment of 9 compared to last trade season when only 74 were operational. He said: "You will be aware from our press release that the price is the same as last year – the farm gain price is 8, 500 dalasis, and if delivered at our depot it will be 9, 400 dalasis. So there is a commission of 900 added to the 8, 500, which has been approved by the government."

All the aforesaid marketing societies locally called the seccos, according to MD Carlvalho are well in place, disclosing that his institution had dispatched two teams on Tuesday to make disbursements to all the seccos. "We are hoping that come tomorrow [Today Thursday] by 7am in the morning they should be up and running," he assured the general public, the farmers in particular.

Prospects for this year's trade season
Commenting on the prospects of this year’s trade season, the GGC boss hinted that it is forecasted that a bumper harvest would be realised again, reiterating that the Corporation is targeting to buy at least 40, 000 metric tons of groundnuts from farmers across the country. "Last year, we were able to buy 33, 710 metric tons of groundnuts. There is an increase in terms of tonnage and also you would observe that we have increased the buying points. One thing has to be made very clear that we cannot be in every hamlet in this country because it's not even economically viable. So the clusters of villages would just have the CPMS [Cooperative Produce Marketing Societies]," he stated.

Credit buying
Quizzed on the issue of credit buying, the GGC boss reiterated his institutions stance to nurture the trend of 'non-credit buying' system in the trade season as in the previous seasons. He made it clear that credit buying is not permissible as far as the GCC is concerned, stressing that their policy still remains "no credit buying." He also said that farmers will be paid on the spot immediately they deliver their nuts to identified seccos.

Advice to farmers
Carlvalho went on to crave the indulgence of the farmers to ensure that they sell their nuts to the GGC on time with a view to averting its destruction, arguing that it is of no use for them to keep the nuts until the last minute. Such a situation, according to him creates room for crop infestation and afflatoxin, which he added reduces the quality of the crops. He stressed that the GGC will not accept such produce, saying the earlier they sell, the better for them.  

He also underscored that farmers' timely selling of the nuts will enable them to process and export early with a view to recover the money invested in the season. "It is also in our interest that evacuation starts as early as possible so that we can process and then export. We have already arranged buyers for our produce in France and in England. So we are just waiting for the evacuation to arrive in our factory and we process and sell," he further disclosed.   

MD  Carlvalho concluded by stating that the GGC fully understands the plight of the farmers, whom he said have been labouring in the field for the past three months or so. While assuring that their produce will be purchased, he re-emphasised that the GGC policy remains "no credit buying". Adding his voice, the deputy managing director of GCC, Mustapha Colley who expressed similar sentiments also delved into the importance of quality buying of groundnuts, while reiterating that their teams have been dispatched to disburse funds to the seccos. He also expressed optimism for a successful trade season.