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Date: | Mon, 5 Mar 2001 18:09:06 -0500 |
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Excerpts from The Independent:
"Since credit buying of groundnuts is the order of the day
in many buying stations, farmers have intensified the cross border
trade in groundnut despite the Senegalese government's call for it
to be halted. In an interview with The Independent, a farmer
from Njawara in Lower Baddibu said that many farmers took their
crops for sale at the turn of the new year without receiving
their money. Another farmer from Kerr Pateh Koneh in Central
Baddibu was almost in tears as he explained that they have hit a
dire financial strait, leaving them unable to buy a ram for
their tobaski feast.
He asserted that although they are not citizens of Senegal,
they have always been treated fairly by the Senegalese who
pay them money whenever their nuts are weighed. Ousainou
Drammeh said that they preferred the price being offered by
the Senegalese government, which according to them is better
than the groundnut price being offered by The Gambia
Government. He claimed that farmers prefer selling their
nuts to local Senegalese buyers at a price of 1, 400 CFA
per bag, which is less than that offered by the
government. 'Although the price is less, farmers prefer it
because they automatically receive their money,' he added.
Other farmers noted that despite the Senegalese government's call
for a halt to the cross border groundnut trade, they are always
ready to take their crops to Senegal even if it will be based
on credit buying. Some angry farmers expressed pessimism over
whether they would receive their monies in time. However, when
this reporter visited some border villages of North Bank
Division last Thursday horse drawn carts could be seen
heavily laden with bags of groundnuts heading towards
Senegal.
Despite reports that money was sent to pay farmers, many
secco managers told The Independent that hundreds of thousands
of Dallas's were being owed to farmers by their respective
buying stations. At Salikene a farmer complained that
about D300, 000 was owed to him two months but said
he has little hope of getting it back despite several
claims he made. At Daru Rilewan one farmer said 'we are
very disappointed that the government during President
Jammeh's meet the people said unlike last year
farmer's groundnut trade season everything will be
different".
Fafanding Minteh a 70-year-old farmer in Minteh Kunda
said his children were sent out of school for not
paying their school fees. "The only source for me is
groundnut which was credited without money. At Nuimi
farmers frustrated by the situation travelled many
kilometers to sell their nuts in Senegal at very bad
prices. A Senegalese businessman who refused to disclose
his name said "we buy groundnut in The Gambia because we mean
business and we will not buy nuts in the Gambia at a high
price and get little profit"."
Comrades, I wonder what Tombong thinks about this
news.
Naphiyo,
Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh
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