Following the Gambian government’s announcement that the official farm-gate price for groundnuts will not change for the 2025–2026 trade season, farmers in Sandu, Tumana, and Sami said they are increasingly resorting to private purchasers.
The price was fixed by the government on November 25 at 38,000 dalasis per metric ton, which many farmers claim has remained unchanged for three years and no longer takes into account growing expenses or the financial strain on rural people. In addition to growers, government leaders and advocates of agriculture have also criticized the move.
Farmers, many of whom claim to depend entirely on groundnut cultivation to feed their families, voiced their displeasure in phone conversations that the price was set without first consulting producers.
Musa Jaiteh, a farmer from Taifa in the Sandu District, stated, “Our entire livelihood depends on this,” said Musa Jaiteh, a farmer from Taifa in the Sandu District. “We spend six months in the fields, and then the government sets a price that does nothing to improve our lives. Farming is what feeds our families, pays for our children’s health care, and school fees. Yet we keep moving backward.”
According to Jaiteh, farmers anticipated at least a slight price hike because they had no other way to make money. When they made the announcement, he said, “I was really disappointed.” “It’s the same as it was last year.”
Similar frustrations were expressed by other farmers. According to Ba Sorry Balisa of Kundam MaFatty in Tumana, he is currently negotiating with individual buyers because he thinks they provide more convenience and occasionally lower costs. “At least with private buyers, I do not have to pay to transport my groundnuts to the Seccos,” he said.
Balisa maintained that prior to setting the price, the government ought to have consulted manufacturers. “They should have asked farmers to value their groundnuts first. Then we could negotiate,” he said, urging the Agriculture Ministry to meet with growers to understand their challenges.
Sulayman Krubally in Sami Madina said the announcement “was really surprising,” adding that farmers have been deterred by the static pricing. In an attempt to increase their income, many people in his area are now choosing to sell at weekly lumos. “Our responsibilities are huge,” he stated. “If things do not change, we will continue to suffer.”
Farmers mentioned several long-standing complaints in addition to price. Some said that fertilizer provided by the government didn’t reach
until almost the end of the rainy season, long after it was required. Others expressed dissatisfaction with expensive transportation to Seccos and payment delays after receiving their groundnuts.
